{"id":172756,"date":"2026-01-23T13:53:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T10:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172756\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"belarus-top-diplomat-urges-lithuanians-to-change-their-government","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/172756\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus’ top diplomat urges Lithuanians to change their government"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Maksim Ry\u017eanko\u016d\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Still by Pozirk)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 23, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>The Lithuanian government’s current policies are leading to “a dead end of self-isolation and economic decline,\u201d Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ry\u017eanko\u016d said in an article published by the state-run Belarus.Segodnya<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ry\u017eanko\u016d accused Vilnius of pursuing a policy of \u201cconfrontation with Belarus\u201d that he said is harming Lithuanians far more than Belarusians, with \u201cordinary Lithuanians” paying the price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official cited severance of trade and economic ties with Belarus, a decline in trade and loss of transit and tourist flows, describing current defense spending in Lithuania as “pointless and harmful” to the interests of the Lithuanian people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ry\u017eanko\u016d urged Lithuanians to seek changes in their country, stressing that \u201cBelarus, as a good neighbor, is always open to reasonable dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk is ready to cooperate and \u201crestore mutually beneficial cooperation that could bring Lithuania up to \u20ac1 billion annually through the normalization of relations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius will ultimately hurt the Lithuanian economy and wellbeing of Lithuanians by ignoring existing problems and seeking new sanctions against Minsk, the Belarusian minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ry\u017eanko\u016d also lashed out against the support of the exiled Belarusian opposition, whom he described as “a group of political marginal figures” allegedly interested only in sanctions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania have been rising since mid-October 2025 due to numerous incursions of cigarette-smuggling balloons. Frequent airspace violations forced Lithuanian authorities to temporarily close the border and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport, located close to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, on December 9, 2025, in response to what it called \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus,\u201d while Minsk continued holding Lithuanian trucks in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus has been pushing for consultations between the countries\u2019 foreign ministries, while Lithuania views possible talks as an effort to break the international isolation of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime and potentially pave the way for easing sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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