Lithuanian formin calls on EU to return to discussions on Rosatom sanctions

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Monday called on the European Union to return to discussions on sanctions against Russia's nuclear power giant Rosatom.  

He was speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council's meeting. 

"I can say that there are certain individuals and some sectoral sanctions" in the EU's planned tenth package of sanctions against Russia, Lithuania's top diplomat said, adding that "we should not expect any very big steps because we see that the process is getting increasingly complicated". 

"For me personally, it is important that we go back to our earlier discussion on (sanctions against) Rosatom," he said. 

Rosatom is Russia's state-owned energy corporation that is building Belarus' nuclear power plant in Astravyets close to the border with Lithuania.

As diplomats discuss further EU sanctions against Russia, Landsbergis said that Lithuania seeks that the same sanctions apply to Russia and Belarus, which he said would "close the routes for goods to reach Russia through Belarus". 

The EU has adopted nine sanctions packages since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.