Lithuania lacks a balanced position on Belarus, admits Social Democrat leader

Lithuania’s ruling Social Democratic Party (LSDP) leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius has acknowledged that the country lacks a unified and balanced stance on Belarus, state news agency ELTA reported on Saturday.

Speaking on the LRT program ELTA savaitė, Sinkevičius said differing views among politicians—ranging from total rejection of engagement to calls for diplomatic dialogue—have created division. Some lawmakers advocating for contact with Minsk risk being labeled “traitors,” he noted, while others insist “diplomacy means conversation, not silence and ignorance.”

“This divergence is clearly felt in backroom discussions,” Sinkevičius said. “All institutions shaping foreign policy need to align their positions and act in sync.” He welcomed President Gitanas Nausėda’s initiative to convene party factions for talks, expressing hope for greater coordination moving forward.

The debate follows a recent proposal by U.S. Special Envoy to Belarus Julie Coale for Lithuania to hold bilateral talks with Minsk at the vice-ministerial level. Coale also suggested resuming transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers through Lithuania, arguing it would “open Europe all the way to the United States.”

President Nausėda has stated that dialogue with Belarus is possible only if Minsk demonstrates a genuine willingness to foster neighborly relations and ceases threats against Lithuania—conditions he says have not yet been met. Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė indicated Lithuania could consider the U.S. proposal if Belarus meets three demands: halting smuggling drones across the border, releasing detained Lithuanian trucks without fines, and stopping illegal migrant crossings.