Baltic, Nordic countries, Poland may join regional Russia sanctions - Lithuanian official

VILNIUS - Asta Skaisgiryte, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor, believes that other Baltic and Nordic countries, along with Poland, could join regional sanctions against Russia as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.

"First of all, we see the Baltic states, Poland, and possibly Finland and other Nordic countries, joining in," Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Tuesday.

"We are often so like-minded that we can agree, I think, easily on such a combination of countries," she added.

Some European Union countries are considering alternatives to EU sanctions, fearing that Hungary may block their extension this summer.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry is also planning to propose adding a provision to Lithuanian law that would allow imposing national sanctions on Russia and Belarus.

Skaisgiryte said that, ideally, the goal should be to extend EU sanctions against Moscow, a move that has been successful in the past despite Hungary's reservations.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told BNS in an interview that it would be good to reach at least a regional agreement among countries bordering Russia and Belarus to block goods from entering the EU by land, which would drive up trade costs.