Lithuania extends sanctions against citizens of Russia and Belarus until 2026

The Seimas of Lithuania has decided to extend national sanctions against citizens of Russia and Belarus for another year. The law, which was adopted in 2023, imposes restrictions on certain rights of citizens from the aggressor countries and is valid until May 3, 2025. However, Lithuanian lawmakers have decided to extend it until May 2, 2026.

This is reported by AgroReview

The decision was made unanimously – out of 115 deputies, none were against, and only one abstained. At the same time, according to the national broadcaster, proposed stricter sanctions against citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus were not supported by lawmakers.

Restrictions and bans for citizens of Russia and Belarus

According to the proposals that were not adopted, it was planned to make the sanctions more uniform by prohibiting citizens of Russia and Belarus from applying for residence permits in Lithuania if they do not have a valid visa. It was also proposed to revoke existing residence permits if citizens visit their countries more than once every three months. All these proposals were rejected, and as a result, the parliament only supported the extension of the existing sanctions by the government.

Currently, Lithuania has suspended the acceptance of applications for Schengen and national visas from citizens of Russia and Belarus, except for cases submitted through the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, the country does not accept applications for temporary residence from Russians. Citizens of Russia and Belarus arriving from outside the EU undergo additional checks for national security purposes.

The restrictions also extend to the financial sector: the import and export of Ukrainian hryvnias is prohibited, as well as the import of agricultural products and feed from Russia and Belarus. Furthermore, Russians without a residence permit in Lithuania are prohibited from purchasing real estate in the country.

These sanctions are part of a broader set of EU measures against the authorities and economy of Russia and Belarus that are in effect in Lithuania.