No de-escalation: Vilnius has put forward impossible demands to Minsk

Lithuania will consider the proposal of US Special Envoy John Cole to hold a meeting with Belarus at the vice-ministerial level, but there are several conditions for this. This was announced by Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene.

According to her, Vilnius puts forward several conditions for Minsk.

"Firstly, meteorological balloons used for smuggling should not be launched across the border. Secondly, all trucks must be returned without any additional fees or financial penalties. Thirdly, Belarus should prevent illegal migrants from crossing the border," said Ruginene.

At the same time, she stressed that this is "only a technical meeting intended to exchange positions."

"Such a meeting can take place after these conditions are met," the Lithuanian Prime minister said.

At the same time, the head of the Lithuanian government stressed that she had not discussed the transit of Belarusian fertilizers with the American envoy — there are no conditions for this, since European Union sanctions are currently in force.

"We did not talk with the US envoy at any level about the transit of fertilizers through Lithuania. We talked about balloons, about the return of trucks, about illegal migration — we really talked about this, because these are our conditions for a meeting with Belarus at the level of vice ministers… As for fertilizers, we cannot discuss anything, because the sanctions of the European Union are in force now," she stressed.

She also said that Lithuania and other European Union countries should adhere to a firm position on the issue of sanctions against Belarus, otherwise "strategic partners will begin to doubt the position of the community."

"When we are not confident in ourselves, when we begin to doubt our own actions, then others and our strategic partners begin to doubt them. As I say, before blaming someone else, we must first draw conclusions for ourselves, be more decisive, have a core and less doubt about our actions. Then, probably, the result will be different," said Ruginene.

The prime minister reiterated that she had not received any requests from the United States to lift sanctions against Belarusian fertilizers, and stressed that questions on this topic were raised without reason after her meeting with John Cole.

"I can guarantee this — there were no requests with me, nor even a conversation was directed in this direction. And, in my opinion, it is groundless after the first meeting, when the special envoy was here in Vilnius, we ourselves raised the topic of fertilizers, although the Americans on our land did not raise this topic at all," she said.

Earlier it became known that John Cole called on Vilnius to start a dialogue with Minsk, and also announced the interest of the United States of America in potash fertilizers from Belarus. According to him, Belarusian potash fertilizers could be very useful to the United States and should be supplied through Lithuania. The Special Envoy expressed hope that Vilnius would agree to hold a bilateral meeting with Minsk at the level of deputy ministers.