DISINFO: Minsk will punish Lithuania economically for its support to the Belarusian opposition
SUMMARY
Belarus will reroute cargo from Lithuanian ports to Russia. It needs to be done due to the behaviour of Lithuania in the context of the presidential elections in Belarus. Vilnius began to support ex-candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya when officially Alexander Lukashenko won the elections. The Belarusian authorities stated that Lithuania, Poland and other Western countries openly support the Belarusian opposition and want to provoke protests in Belarus. The European Union announced sanctions on Minsk too.
The EU should not use sanctions to scare Belarus because Minsk is ready to answer. I.e., cargo transportation from Belarus forming 30 per cent of the budget of Lithuania.
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The economy of Lithuania will be seriously damaged without Belarusian transit.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Lithuania and alleged Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus. This article also includes a fake statement about the dependence of the Lithuanian economy on Belarus.
According to the European Union, the 2020 Presidential elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair. The protests in Belarus started after the election day as the reaction of society to potential falsification of results. The European Union also does not recognise Aleksandr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus. The EU sanctions were not just announced but already implemented.
The statement that “30 per cent of the budget of Lithuania” is formed by cargo transit from Belarus is false. Belarus was in 10th position of Lithuania's trade partners. In 2019, the trade with Belarus formed only 3.9 per cent of Lithuanian exports, imports from Belarus were 2.5 per cent.
The accusation that Western countries are interfering in Belarusian affairs is a prominent narrative of pro-Kremlin disinformation. See similar examples here, here and here. In addition, the message about the dependence of the Lithuanian economy on Belarus is also not a new one. See as example: Lukashenka was Lithuania's economic god and benefactor.