Belarus has no intention of breaking away from Russia, Lithuanian intelligence chief says

Belarus will not distance itself from Russia, abandon its authoritarian regime, or change its policies toward neighbouring states, the head of Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) said on Sunday.

Speaking at a NATO Parliamentary Assembly committee meeting in Vilnius, VSD Director **Remigijus Bridikis** stated that despite occasional signals from Belarusian President **Alexander Lukashenko** about improving relations with the West, Minsk remains firmly aligned with Moscow.

“Instead, [Lukashenko] continues to act aggressively toward Lithuania and its neighbours,” Bridikis said. He accused Belarus of politically motivated arrests of Lithuanian citizens and intimidation campaigns, including the detention of Belarusian residents for reading material deemed “extremist” by the regime.

The intelligence chief added that Lithuania sees no signs of positive change in Belarus, which he said will continue to “exploit or even create problems to threaten the security of neighbouring states for its own benefit.”

**Julius Katinas**, deputy director of Lithuania’s Second Operational Service (AOTD), warned that Belarus’s military independence from Russia is diminishing yearly, particularly after adopting a Russian military doctrine that frames the West as a threat.

“Belarus hosts Russian military bases, early-warning radars, and strategic air defence systems,” Katinas said. “It provides its territory for infrastructure that enhances Russia’s drone operations against Ukraine, while Russian aircraft stationed in Belarus conduct strikes on Ukraine. Belarus has also deployed Russian nuclear capabilities on its soil, effectively enabling nuclear proliferation.”

He stressed that without Belarusian support, Russia’s war in Ukraine would be far more difficult to sustain, noting that Russian forces operate in Belarus without restrictions.

The remarks follow calls from **John Coale**, the US special envoy to Belarus, urging Lithuania to re-engage with Minsk after Lukashenko released some political prisoners and allowed previously detained Lithuanian truckers to leave the country. Coale proposed restarting high-level talks and resuming Belarusian fertiliser transit through Lithuania.

The EU and Lithuania imposed sanctions on Lukashenko’s regime after the disputed 2020 presidential election and subsequent crackdown on mass protests.