Cichanoŭskaja: West should not concede to Belarus over grain transit

December 15, BPN. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has told Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto that it would be unacceptable if concessions were made to the regime in exchange for the transit of grain from Ukraine.

An adviser quoted her as saying that political prisoners should be freed and Russian troops should go home before any lifting of sanctions is discussed. Political prisoners should not be commodities, she said.

On November 14, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said commercial deliveries of Ukrainian grain through Belarus were possible, but Vilnius would not negotiate any political conditions.

Last week, Belarus told the UN that it would allow grain transit for export from Lithuanian ports without preconditions.