Lithuanian Seimas overrides presidential veto and imposes sanctions against Russians and Belarusians
On Thursday, Lithuanian Seimas overrode President Gitanas Nausda’s veto of restrictive legal measures against Russian and Belarusian citizens.
It is informed by Censor.NЕТ with reference to "European Truth".
According to the voting data, 99 Lithuanian parliamentarians supported the document, seven voted against it, and two abstained. The votes of 77 Seimas members would have been enough to override the president's veto.
The deputies found Nausėda's arguments unconvincing, as he proposed to equalize restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens.
The law was opposed by, among others, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who argued that Belarusians should not be subject to the same restrictions as Russians.
The adopted version of the law restricts the ability of Russians and Belarusians to obtain visas in Lithuania, as well as to import and export Ukrainian hryvnia from Lithuania until May 2024. In addition, Russians will be temporarily deprived of the right to buy real estate, and their applications for temporary residence permits will not be accepted for some time.
The Saeima's restrictions do not apply to all citizens of Russia and Belarus, as the law provides for certain exceptions.
Before the vote, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said that the draft law on national sanctions against Russians and Belarusians should be adopted as soon as possible.
