Lithuania moves to ban firms linked to Russia and Belarus from critical infrastructure | Ukraine news

Parliamentarians propose limiting contracts for companies tied to Russia or Belarus. Security implications for airports and other strategic sites remain under discussion.

Lithuania plans to ban firms with ties to the Russian Federation and Belarus from working at critical infrastructure facilities, including airports.

According to LRT, Lithuanian lawmakers insist on adopting a bill that would restrict the activities of companies with commercial ties to Russia or Belarus at key facilities, including airports.

Deputy Chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas stated that the committee is pushing the initiative, although the exact legislative mechanism has not yet been defined.

We need to strengthen the legal basis so that, five years into the war, trade relations with the Russian Federation and Belarus could be considered as a criterion for denying permits or contracts at Lithuania’s strategic facilities

– Laurynas Kasčiūnas

The impetus for developing this bill was the situation around Travel Retail Vilnius, which operates duty-free shops at Vilnius and Kaunas airports. It belongs to the large German travel retail group Gebr. Heinemann, which previously operated in the Russian and Belarusian markets.

According to Kasčiūnas, authorities are examining whether such companies pose security risks to Lithuania due to ties with these countries.

Also in the security context, the possibility of denouncing the agreement with Belarus on the order of mutual travel between border areas, which had previously been discussed by Parliament, is being considered.

Their actions show signs of criminal offenses provided for in Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Threats or violence against a law enforcement officer” and Article 194 “Deliberate destruction or damage of property.” The relevant reports have been sent to the National Police

– National Police

In the long term, Parliament plans to strengthen oversight of the activities of companies with external connections regarding critical infrastructure facilities and consider the use of transparent suppliers that do not support ties with Russia or Belarus.