PM insists Lithuanian technology doesn't reach Russian military

VILNIUS - After Ukrainian and British investigators revealed that Lithuania and other Western countries exported technology, which may have been used in Russia's artillery in the war against Ukraine, to Russia in 2023 and 2024, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas insists that the Kremlin is not using Lithuanian components on the front lines.

Paluckas reiterated on Friday that neither Lithuanian defense products nor dual-use goods reach the Russian military.

"Of the 50,000 items or components on the sanctioned goods list, none from Lithuania have ended up at the front. Similarly, with dual-use goods, which are said to have military applications, there has not been a single recorded case involving a Lithuanian supplier where such goods have actually been used in the war on the front lines," he said in an interview with the M-1 radio station.

"Nobody has such information," he added.

Denys Hutyk, director of the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, who led the joint Ukrainian-British investigation team, told the public broadcaster LRT earlier on Friday that Lithuania's exports made up about 2.5 percent of the total export of high-tech components, such as processors, microchips, and others, to Russia in the past two years.

He said the study shows that Lithuanian businesses continue to sell parts to Russia.

Paluckas acknowledged that some sanctioned goods do reach Russia through third countries.

"Yes. Sanctions don't close all possible circumvention channels. Not only this study but also others clearly show that China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan are involved in this process," he said.

The Economy and Innovation Ministry proposes that the government review the previous Cabinet's restrictions on exporting dual-use goods via air to third countries, while adhering to European regulations.

In December, the former Cabinet of Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte banned the air export of thousands of dual-use goods to all but ten third countries.

Economy and Innovation Minister Lukas Savickas said last week that export bans should not harm exporters of high-value-added products while ensuring compliance with sanctions against Russia.