Action must be taken against Russia's circumvention of sanctions via Belarus - Rinkevics

RIGA - Action must be taken against Russia's circumvention of sanctions via Belarus, emphasized President Edgars Rinkevics, who met with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at Riga Castle on Thursday.

As the President's Advisor Martins Dregeris informed LETA, Rinkevics expressed Latvia's solidarity and support for political prisoners and their families in Belarus.

The President condemned the repressions of Alexander Lukashenko's regime against Belarusian civil society and the democratic opposition, as well as the regime's hybrid attacks against Latvia and other countries in the region, including artificially created illegal migration pressure and the use of contraband weather balloons.

Rinkevics stressed that pressure on Belarus must continue until the Belarusian regime fundamentally changes its policy. The President noted that Latvia's position remains unchanged and that sanctions against Russia and Belarus must continue. At the same time, he welcomed the US efforts to secure the release of political prisoners.

As reported, the farcical Belarusian presidential elections of January 26, 2025 were "won" by the dictator Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994.