Ex-Lithuanian presidential candidate pays friendly visit to Minsk
Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskene has instructed the police to begin checking the circumstances surrounding the speeches of former presidential candidate Eduard Vaitkus in Minsk. He gave a press conference in Belarus, where he supported the authorities of this state, and called his president illegitimate. These statements were made against the background of the development in Lithuania of national economic sanctions against Belarus and Russia, in case the EU fails to extend the pan-European ones. Meanwhile, Alexander Lukashenko continues to confidently establish ties with Africa. On Thursday, he saw off his dear guest, the President of Zimbabwe, at the airport.
A scandal broke out in Lithuania over the statements of one of the country’s well-known politicians, who visited the Republic of Belarus and spoke there on a number of topical issues. Eduard Vaitkus participated in the presidential elections in 2024 and took fifth place with 7.31% of the vote. Vaitkus continues his political activities, trying to create the New Political Force party.
Vaitkus came to Minsk at the invitation of the pro-government (however, there are no anti-presidential ones left) Belaya Rus party. Vaitkus gave a press conference at the BELTA news agency office and an interview to the Belarus 1 TV channel. Among his statements, there were many that shocked Lithuanian politicians.
In particular, Vaitkus said that sanctions against Belarus and Russia are “a shot in the foot.” And he explained that the Lithuanian government in this case is subordinate to the external administration. “I have long believed that it is necessary to talk about globalists here. A year ago, you could have said “America.” And now we need to say “globalists”. Their interest is one owner, one country, one leader for the whole globe. And in Europe, there will always be traitors in power. And the globalists do not need Europe as a rival,” the Lithuanian politician noted.
He immediately stated that there was no legitimately elected president in Lithuania, as, according to him, numerous violations had been committed during the election campaign. Vaitkus also informed about the threats coming to his address. However, he is confident that it is possible to fight for a brighter future only while in his own country. And in this regard, he attacked the Belarusian opposition and, in particular, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“I call the Lithuanian government traitors. Because they do not work for the benefit of the Lithuanian people. I do not intend to evaluate the actions of a woman whom I would have sent immediately from Lithuania,” Vaitkus said angrily. And he added: “I do not intend to contribute to her work.”
In Vilnius, the reaction to these statements was intense. Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskene instructed the police to begin checking the circumstances surrounding Vaitkus’ statements. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich, in turn, stressed: “We are a democratic country, so everyone can express their opinion. But if it is purposeful and incites, say, discord, then in this case it will be a different assessment.”
According to Lithuanian media reports, the country’s Prime Minister Gintautas Palukas noted that the decision of the Prosecutor General’s Office is “a very good initiative, political appeals are not needed for this.” And he added: “What Mr. Vaitkus is doing is either some kind of medical phenomenon, or obvious actions against the interests of Lithuania. This is an anti-state activity.”
It is worth noting that the Lithuanian authorities are ready to continue their sanctions policy even without the support of the European Union. The country’s media reports that its Foreign Ministry is preparing a draft for the expanded application of national sanctions against Belarus and Russia in case the EU refuses to extend pan-European restrictions. The fact is that some of them expire at the end of July 2025. And it is possible that the position of some countries will not allow them to be extended.
The United Transitional Cabinet of Tikhanovskaya actively supported this project. The opposition center said in a statement: “We call on other EU states to support Lithuania’s initiative in order to increase the effectiveness of restrictive measures taken at both the regional and national levels. Coordinated actions by the international democratic community will strengthen the effectiveness of pressure and limit the Lukashenko regime’s ability to circumvent sanctions.”
Meanwhile, the president of Belarus demonstrates that he cares little about restoring cooperation with Europe. He has reliable friends on other continents. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been in the country since May 11. He had a rich program. Mnangagwa visited Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial complex. He also got acquainted with the work of a number of Belarusian enterprises.
On Wednesday, Lukashenko and Mnangagwa held talks, which resulted in the signing of a package of bilateral documents. It is based on the roadmap for 2026-2030, which outlines key joint projects.
The talks were held in such a warm atmosphere that on Thursday Lukashenko personally went to escort his dear guest to the airport. The BelTA news agency reports that at parting they even discussed the weather conditions in the two friendly countries. “You will have to acclimatize in your homeland again. But it’s winter there, too,” the Belarusian head of state remarked.
Mnangagwa replied, “The Belarusian weather is very comfortable for us.” Lukashenko immediately cordially chimed in: “This suggests that you should visit Belarus more often.” But the Zimbabwean guest noticed that it was Lukashenko’s turn now and urged him to visit Africa in the near future. The President of Belarus enthusiastically accepted the invitation.