Sinkevičius says no one asked Lithuania to soften rhetoric on Russia

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius says he has received no request to soften his rhetoric on Russia, LRT reports, responding to a Reuters report that Pentagon officials had approached Lithuania and several other NATO members.

“No one has asked me anything. Whatever the requests might be, in writing or verbally, they would not change Lithuania’s position or my position towards our eastern neighbours,” Sinkevičius said on Thursday.

He also said Lithuania was not facing pressure from Western partners over the export of Belarusian potash fertilisers through the port of Klaipėda. “No one is pressuring us, and we feel no pressure from our strategic partner, the United States,” he said, describing the reported discussions as possible behind-the-scenes conversations to gauge reactions in EU countries, including Lithuania.

Sinkevičius said Lithuania makes its own decisions and has no plans at present to review its sanctions policy.

President Gitanas Nausėda’s office also said the president and his advisers had received no requests from allies to soften their rhetoric on Russia. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told BNS he had no information about such requests from the United States and said Lithuania speaks about Russia based on facts.

Reuters reported the alleged Pentagon request, citing four people who spoke on condition of anonymity. The report came as US President Donald Trump’s administration renewed efforts to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations. Trump has also recently eased some sanctions on Moscow.