MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2020) The statements of the Lithuanian leadership on the elections in Belarus and the granting of asylum to the former presidential contender Svetlana Tikhanovskaya are interference in the affairs of another state, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
"It is difficult to assess the fact that, declaring the alleged 'illegitimacy' of the elections in Belarus, the Lithuanian authorities publicly call [the elected Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko 'the former president' and impose sanctions on him, otherwise than interference in the internal affairs of another state. At the same time, Vilnius has granted asylum to one of candidates running in the elections and is organizing her meetings not only with the leadership of Lithuania itself, but also with high-ranking representatives of the United States and EU countries, calling for 'decisive international action,'" Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Such steps of Vilnius, which "Lithuanian masters of political intrigue" are trying to disguise as a desire to help Belarusians, in fact only shake the situation, she said.
"Instead of giving the Belarusian people the opportunity to resolve the current difficult situation on their own, the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy is directly imposing on the Belarusian neighbors the decision, which is 'correct' from his point of view," Zakharova said.
She drew attention to the fact that Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius says about the "excitement" with which he observes "by what means the authorities are fighting their people," who, according to him, are "in danger."
"We believe that the accusations by the Lithuanian foreign minister against the authorities of the neighboring country of 'disrespect for their people' are at least inappropriate," she added.
