A visit to Lithuania by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Belarus is currently being coordinated, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tuesday.
Ruginienė said John Coale, Trump’s envoy to Belarus, is expected to come to Lithuania, but cautioned that the trip has not yet been confirmed.
“According to my preliminary data, he will arrive, but let’s not consider this a 100% guarantee, as a visit was planned last time as well but was cancelled at the last minute,” she told reporters.
Lithuania has previously sought assistance from the United States in resolving issues related to smuggler balloons coming from Belarus and Lithuanian company trucks detained by the Minsk government.
Lithuanian transport companies fear Belarus could follow through on threats to confiscate trucks that have been stranded in the country since October.
According to the National Road Carriers Association Linava, the confiscation of trucks and semi-trailers could begin Tuesday.
Minsk banned Lithuanian trucks from operating in the country after Lithuania closed several border checkpoints in late October because of the threat posed by smuggler balloons. On November 10, Belarus announced it would charge a daily fee of 120 euros for each stationary Lithuanian truck, warning that failure to pay could result in confiscation.
Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre estimates that of 1,418 vehicles listed by Linava, 550 Lithuanian trucks and semi-trailers stranded in Belarus had not returned to Lithuania between late October and February 27, while 868 have already returned.
However, the latest data collected by Linava from companies shows that 1,472 trucks and semi-trailers remain stranded in Belarus.
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