Lithuania should “slightly de-escalate” tensions with Belarus, Deividas Matulionis, national security adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated, LRT reported. Earlier, Belarus released 123 political prisoners in exchange for the US lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers. Also, Belarus pledged to stop the incursion of smuggler balloons into Lithuanian airspace. Lithuania has halted transit shipments of Belarusian potash via the port of Klaipeda, and the EU has imposed sanctions on Belarusian potash producer Belaruskali. Vilnius University professor Tomas Janeliunas suggested that Belarus had “almost certainly” asked the US to pressure Lithuania and the EU to lift the sanctions, LRT reported. He expected the current government to find it easier to accommodate such pressure. Matulionis conceded that the US could exert pressure, BNS reported. However, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene and Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys assured that the EU sanctions against Belaruskali would remain in force. Also, EU foreign ministers approved Lithuania’s proposal to broaden sanctions against Belarus in response to the balloon incursions, LRT reported.
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