Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Belarus is “fully involved” in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Belarus, US-funded news organization Radio Free Europe reported on Friday, citing Baltic news site Delfi.it.
“We see movements in Belarus that prove that some of the mobilized soldiers are being sent or are going to be sent to fight in Ukraine through the territory of Belarus,” Nauseda said, according to the report. “This is clear evidence that Belarus is fully involved in this war. That means, it becomes responsible just like Russia for the consequences of this war.”
“In order to completely stop both the desire and the possibility to continue to carry out large-scale operations in Ukraine, we must move to the ninth package of sanctions.”
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda
Russia is forming joint groups of Belarusian and Russian troops in Belarus and transferring ammunition to its close ally, the report noted.
“That is why we believe that it is worth continuing to fight for the strengthening of sanctions,” Nauseda added. “I think that the sanctions that we have applied are already giving results and Russia has much less opportunities to finance this war. However, in order to completely stop both the desire and the possibility to continue to carry out large-scale operations in Ukraine, we must move to the ninth package of sanctions.”
Ukraine claims Russia pushing Belarus toward war
This comes after Vadym Skibitsky, the spokesman for the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, alleged last week that Russia was taking steps to “force the leadership of Belarus to enter an open war.”
Skibitsky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were “constantly” holding meetings at which Putin tried to convince Lukashenko to enter the war.
He added that six battalions of Belarusian troops, including armored, airborne and special operations Belarusian military units were concentrated near the border.
“Lukashenko is ready to give everything that he has, let it be used by the Russian Federation, but so that the armed forces of Belarus do not directly enter the war against our country,” he said, suggesting that this situation could change depending on events that occur on the frontlines.