The Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys expressed confidence that European Union sanctions against Belarus will be extended for another year, and did not rule out their tightening.
He voiced these words during the Munich Security Conference, according to sources close to the world of diplomacy.
Position and Context of the Sanctions
Budrys emphasized that the sanctions were imposed for human rights violations by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in 2020–2021, notably for the forced landing of a plane that was en route to Vilnius, and also for supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
I’m quite optimistic that the European Union’s sanctions against Belarus will be extended for another 12 months.
– Kestutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania
The expansion of the sanctions regime against Belarus is also expected, particularly in response to its hybrid actions against the EU, the head of Lithuanian diplomacy stressed.
Budrys expressed confidence that easing or revising the sanctions regime is not possible without a fundamental change in Lukashenko’s behavior and without holding him accountable for all crimes committed.
The European Parliament in October 2025 condemned the Lukashenko regime’s repressive policies and called for stronger sanctions pressure until political prisoners are released and the persecution of citizens ceases, until full accountability is achieved for the regime’s actions and its involvement in the war against Ukraine.
According to Budrys, the United States’ invitation to Belarus to the Peace Council was a misguided initiative, as the regime systematically violates human rights and uses migration as a lever to pressure Lithuania and neighboring countries.