{"id":117004,"date":"2024-12-06T12:30:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T09:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117004\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithiuanias-top-diplomat-minsks-aggressive-policies-date-back-to-2020","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117004\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithiuania\u2019s top diplomat: Minsk\u2019s aggressive policies date back to 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

December 6, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Authorities in Minsk started pursuing aggressive policies more than four years ago as they cracked down on 2020 postelection protests in the country, Gabrielius Landsbergis, acting foreign minister of Lithuania, said yesterday in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus’ support for Russia’s war on Ukraine in 2022 was part of that policy, just as the May 2021 forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk, he told members of the US Helsinki Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Belarusian regime critics, opposition journalist Raman Pratasievi\u010d and his girlfriend Sofya Sapega (Safija Sapieha), were arrested during the incident, which forced European Union\u2019s airlines to stop flying over Belarus, while Belarusian carriers were barred from entering the bloc\u2019s airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that time, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka also started using “hybrid measures” to intimidate Europe as he facilitated the illegal migration crisis that continues for more than three years at the shared border of Belarus and the EU, Landsbergis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus is now helping Russia evade sanctions imposed for its aggression against Ukraine, Landsbergis said, calling for uniform restrictions against both countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka will \u201creappoint himself\u201d at the January presidential election and may use the poll to improve relations with the EU and the United States, the diplomat noted, warning democratic countries against acknowledging the Belarusian ruler\u2019s legitimacy in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus will hold its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the whole election cycle limited to just three months. The previous 2020 presidential race was marred by police brutality against peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current presidential campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ryanair incident has not been properly investigated because Belarusian officials denied international experts access to key evidence and witnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Civil Aviation Organization Council determined that the bomb threat against Ryanair Flight 4978 \u201cwas deliberately false and endangered its safety, and furthermore that the threat was communicated to the flight crew upon the instructions of senior government officials of Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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