Premier criticises preparation for U.S. envoy’s visit to Lithuania

Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has said the team accompanying U.S. special envoy for Belarus John Coale performed poorly in preparing for his visit to Vilnius.

Speaking to the news portal Lrytas, Ruginienė stated that Coale’s team had failed to adequately research the situation before the meetings on March 19. She noted that high-level visits require meticulous preparation and verification of participants, something she said was standard for Lithuanian state visits.

“I think it is possible that Coale’s team simply did a worse job on their homework,” Ruginienė said. “When a sufficiently high-ranking official visits, I would not want to face a situation where meetings are not carefully prepared and the people I meet are not vetted.”

The prime minister met Coale alongside Seimas members Ignas Vėgėlė, Rimas Jonas Jankūnas and MEP Petras Gražulis. The meeting focused on regional security, according to Ruginienė, who also reaffirmed Lithuania’s strong strategic partnership with the United States.

The U.S. State Department appointed John Coale as special envoy for Belarus in 2024 to coordinate sanctions enforcement and support for Belarusian democratic forces.