VILNIUS - The lifting of US sanctions on the Belarusian national airline Belavia will be a major test for the backbone of the European Union's (EU) sanctions policy, Lithuanian Foreign Minister-designate Kestutis Budrys has said.
"This does not mean that the EU will immediately follow suit once the US has made such a decision. It will be a major test of the backbone of the EU's sanctions policy. It seems to me, we will need to pass this test, and Lithuania will certainly contribute to ensuring that we do," Budrys told the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT's Dienos Tema (The Topic of the Day) on Thursday.
"The EU, with Lithuania and Lithuania's strong voice, will continue its sanctions policy because we believe that these tools are more effective in achieving our goals," he assured.
Budrys reiterated that the goals pursued by the US are in line with Lithuania's goals - to have political prisoners released.
However, according to the minister, the measures used by the US are not suitable for Lithuania.
"We have other measures that we see are working, and we will continue to apply them," he said.
According to Budrys, the US has its own sovereign sanctions and its own sanctions policy, which it seeks to coordinate with the EU.
"The EU has its own sanctions policy, and Lithuania has ultimately decided on its own national restrictive measures. It's great when everything coincides, but it doesn't always coincide, and then we see differences," Budrys noted.
He said that the trend of exchanging sanctions for people would not be supported.
"I would like to emphasize that we will definitely not give in to the trend of exchanging sanctions for people, as some would like... We support the goal, but we know from experience that these measures can lose their effectiveness very quickly," Budrys stressed.
"This does not oblige us to change our policy," the Lithuanian top diplomat asserted.
According to Belarusian media, White House envoy John Coale announced the lifting of US sanctions on Belarusian state airline, Belavia, at a meeting with Belarusian authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday.
According to him, the decision was made by President Donald Trump himself.
The White House later clarified it would be a "limited relief package" that would allow Belavia to "service and buy components for its existing fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft".
In June 2022, the US imposed sanctions on the Belarusian air carrier for violating restrictions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They were subsequently extended several times.
Belavia is also subject to European sanctions.
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