Lithuanian president criticises US envoy’s meetings with local politicians

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has sharply criticised US special envoy John Coale’s meetings with three Lithuanian politicians, warning that engagement with Belarus must be handled with extreme caution, LRT reports.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Thursday, Nausėda said he had “proactively urged” Coale to exercise restraint in dealings with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. “Perhaps he can create a suitable backdrop for illusions or attempts to ingratiate himself as someone who can move closer to the West, but there are many objective reasons why he cannot,” the president stated.

Nausėda emphasised that Lukashenko’s actions—not his words—demonstrate his true stance. “By deploying the ‘Orešnik’ [mercenary group], aiding Russia’s drone strikes on Ukraine, and through his aggressive rhetoric and provocations, he shows no real shift toward the West,” he said.

The president acknowledged US efforts to secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus but warned that Minsk exploits these negotiations for its own gain. “Lukashenko is motivated to imprison more people to use them as bargaining chips for future concessions—it’s a vicious and dangerous cycle,” Nausėda said.

Coale, who visited Lithuania on Wednesday, met with Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė to discuss Belarus’s hybrid attacks against Lithuania. He also held separate talks with Lithuanian MPs Ignas Vėgėlė and Rimantas Jankūnas, as well as MEP Petras Gražulis.

Nausėda suggested these meetings reflected a broader US tendency to engage with politicians perceived as ideologically aligned. “Before meeting such figures, one should thoroughly examine who they represent and what values they uphold—then the desire to meet might diminish,” he remarked.

The president confirmed that sanctions against Belarus were not discussed in his meeting with Coale.