no pressure from the us to change belarus policy says lithuanian presidential advisor

Lithuania has not faced pressure from the United States to alter its policy toward Belarus, according to Deividas Matulionis, senior advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.

Speaking on the politika.lt podcast, Matulionis stated that neither Lithuania nor its European Union partners have received any indication from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to change their stance on sanctions against Minsk.

“I want to state responsibly that to this point, there has been no pressure—even the slightest—on us or other European partners to change our policy regarding Belarus,” Matulionis said. “There has been no such discussion. And this gives me reason for optimism, because if improving U.S.-Belarus relations were to lead to attempts to persuade neighboring partners or the EU to adjust their policies, the situation could become much more complicated.”

He emphasized that recent sanctions against Belarus have been extended, maintaining the existing policy.

Matulionis acknowledged the unpredictability of U.S. policy but noted that so far, no actions have raised concerns in Lithuania. He cautioned against interpreting American policy solely through a Lithuanian perspective, given the broader geopolitical considerations at play.

Regarding speculation about a potential “big deal” with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Matulionis said discussions about a possible visit to Washington remain speculative. He defined a meaningful “deal” as the release of all political prisoners and a reduction of tensions with neighboring countries.

“If the Americans clearly indicate that the release of political prisoners, easing tensions with neighbors, and creating additional strategic dilemmas for Russia’s advance into Belarus are the goals of their policy, then is that a bad thing?” he asked. “I don’t think so.”