John Coale met with several Lithuanian right-populist parliamentarians and a member of the European Parliament on Wednesday to discuss bilateral issues with Belarus.
Coale met with Ignas Vėgėlė and Rimas Jonas Jankūnas, as well as Petras Gražulis. Gražulis said the discussions covered tensions between Lithuania and Minsk, including disputes over fertilisers, trucks, and Belarusian smuggler balloons.
“We discussed the problems in Belarus-Lithuania relations… We expressed our position on fertilisers, on trucks, the fact that our government is not negotiating, on balloons – everything was discussed,” said Gražulis, an MEP who sits with the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations Group.
Gražulis noted that while the envoy’s perspective differed from theirs on some points, they agreed on the importance of continued dialogue. He praised US efforts that led to the release of about 300 political prisoners in Belarus and expressed hope for further releases.
The meeting was facilitated by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group in the European Parliament. Gražulis said he and Coale agreed to maintain ongoing cooperation.
“It was a very, very successful conversation; he listened to us very attentively. We would like to see all political prisoners released,” Gražulis said.
Vėgėlė declined to comment on the meeting’s details, citing the sensitivity of ongoing US efforts to secure the release of Belarusian political prisoners. “I would neither like to confirm nor deny it, because any talk at this stage could only cause harm,” he said Thursday at the Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament. Jankūnas also confirmed the meeting but declined to comment further.
The US envoy’s meeting with Lithuanian politicians who do not occupy any government posts and represent fringe positions has raised some questions.
Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party, said Coale has the right to meet with whomever he wishes.
“The envoy apparently has the opportunity to meet a wide spectrum of politicians… What the purpose was or what inspired it, we certainly do not know,” Sinkevičius said. He added that the meetings did not indicate a shift in Lithuania’s foreign policy and may have been used to explain the US position to various political actors.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė also met with Coale on Wednesday. She did not provide details of the discussion but said the talks would have a “very good positive impact”. During the meeting, she addressed Minsk’s “hybrid attacks” on Lithuania and thanked Coale for his work in securing the release of Belarusian political prisoners.
Lithuania has previously sought US assistance regarding contraband balloons from Belarus and the detention of Lithuanian trucks in Belarus.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
