“They have imposed sanctions on themselves. I can’t call it anything else. (...) They decided to give up the products they probably need the most,” Landsbergis said in an interview with BNS news agency.

“Even small groups of goods that used to reach Belarus will now be redirected elsewhere,” observed the head of the diplomatic department.

According to MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Belarus’ decision will also affect the Russian market, since it is through this country that sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia have often been bypassed.

“We ourselves have repeatedly pointed out the need to tighten sanctions against Belarus in order to prevent Russia from evading EU restrictions,” Pavilionis recalled.

Marius Dubnikovas, vice president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation, stressed that Belarus’ suspension of imports will have a negligible impact on Lithuania’s economy, as trade relations between the two countries have already “decreased to a minimum.”

“This will be felt by individual companies, because there are still people who try to do business with Belarus and Russia, but this will not affect the Lithuanian economy,” Dubnikovas assessed.

Self-sanctioning by Lukashenka

Belarusian authorities announced on Thursday that, in response to the closure of two more Lithuanian-Belarusian border crossings, Minsk will suspend imports of foodstuffs, alcohol, clothing, car spare parts, and construction equipment from Lithuania.

For security reasons, in an effort to reduce the flow of goods and people from Belarus, Lithuania closed two more border crossings with the country on March 1, in Lavarishki in the Vilnius region and in Raigrad near Druskininkai.

In the summer of 2023, the checkpoints in Shumsk in the Vilnius region and Tveretch in the Ygalin region were closed. Currently, only two crossings remain open on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border - in Medininkai in the Vilnius region and in Šalčininkai.