Nauseda says EU moving differently after US lifts Belarus sanctions

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday that the European Union is taking a "different path" on sanctions after the US lifted some measures on Belarus.

"The United States may indeed have its own policy towards Russia and Belarus, but the European Union's policy is very clear and is based on the principle that both states, both Russia and its close ally Belarus, are responsible for what is happening in Ukraine," Nauseda told reporters in Brussels.

"It should be noted that we recently ensured EU sanctions on Belarus were extended for another 12 months. During this period, there is no possibility, nor political will, to reconsider them. Thus, the lifting of US sanctions is one thing, while the EU's sanctions policy is a different path," he added.

Nauseda’s remarks come after Minsk released 250 political prisoners following negotiations with Washington, 15 of whom arrived in Lithuania.

The move followed a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and U.S. envoy John Coale. In exchange for the release, Washington permanently lifted sanctions on potash producer Belaruskali, as well as Belinvestbank, the Development Bank, and the Ministry of Finance.

"I expressed this to Mr. Coale personally. As neighbors of Belarus-and you cannot choose your neighbors-we are well aware of the tricks being used. The problem is that we are creating a flawed incentive mechanism for Lukashenko, making this a permanent cycle: releasing some prisoners, taking in others, and then expecting something in return during the next US visit," Nauseda said.

"This does not create the incentive mechanism we want to put the Belarusian regime in its place. Therefore, I repeat that we should not equate European and US policies, though we will always support the release of people as it is humanitarianly correct," he added.

Washington had already eased some sanctions on Belaruskali last December after Minsk released 123 political prisoners. At the time, observers speculated that the US might pressure the European Union and Lithuania to resume transit of Belarusian fertilizers through the port of Klaipeda.

Belaruskali products were transported through Lithuania and Klaipeda until February 2022, when Vilnius halted transit citing US sanctions and national security concerns. The European Union subsequently imposed its own sanctions on Belarusian fertilizers, which were extended for another year in February.