On Tuesday, April 14, the Lithuanian Seimas approved the extension of national sanctions against citizens of Russia and Belarus until 2028.
102 members of the Seimas voted for the bill, four against, and six abstained. One more vote is needed before the bill is adopted, LETA reports.
The Chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, Remigijus Motuzas, reminded that the sanctions, which are renewed annually, will expire on May 3, so a decision cannot be delayed.
According to the government's proposal, the same restrictive measures will remain in place for citizens of Russia and Belarus, with the only proposed innovation being a ban on bringing more than 200 liters of fuel from Russia and Belarus into Lithuania in vehicles.
The leader of the "Dawn of Nyamunas" party, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, whose faction advocated for excluding the issue from the agenda, told reporters that the volumes of imported fuel should comply with Polish standards, where transporting 600 liters in tanks is allowed.
In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, some conservatives proposed to introduce unified sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens: to suspend the issuance of new temporary residence permits in Lithuania for them, as has been done for Russians, to limit trips to Belarus and Russia, to allow citizens of these countries to purchase real estate only if they have a permanent residence permit in Lithuania, and to restrict the acquisition of real estate near strategic facilities.
However, according to the Law on Sanctions, the government has the exclusive right to initiate possible restrictions; parliamentarians cannot do this.
"The committee decided to contact the government and assess the proposals of Seimas members..., aimed at introducing new and supplementing existing restrictive measures against citizens of Russia and Belarus, as well as considering the possibility of including these proposals in the preparation of a new bill to amend the Law on Establishing Restrictive Measures in Connection with Military Aggression Against Ukraine," said Motuzas.
According to the representative of the "Agrarians" faction, Valius Ažuolas, such sanctions harm the Lithuanian economy, as there are no similar restrictions in neighboring countries.
"The most interesting thing is when the same Belarusian goods come to Lithuania through Poland, and no one cares, no one is worried, someone is making a lot of money," he assured.
The Law on Restrictive Measures has been in effect in Lithuania since 2023.
