Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has emphasized the necessity to thwart the circumvention of Russian sanctions through Belarus. This statement came after a meeting on Thursday at the Riga Castle with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a prominent Belarusian opposition leader. According to a statement from the president's advisor, Mārtiņš Drēģeris, Rinkēvičs reaffirmed Latvia’s solidarity with political prisoners and their families in Belarus, highlighting the ongoing struggle against the regime founded by Alexander Lukashenko.

Rinkēvičs condemned the repression enacted by the Lukashenko regime against Belarusian civil society and democratic opposition, describing it as a series of hybrid attacks against Latvia and other countries in the region. He pointed to various tactics being used by the regime, such as artificially created illegal migration pressures and the employment of meteorological balloons for smuggling purposes. Rinkēvičs called for continued international pressure on Belarus until there is a fundamental change in its political stance.

The president reaffirmed Latvia's position to maintain sanctions against both Russia and Belarus, asserting that any efforts to alleviate these measures would be premature until the Belarusian regime fundamentally alters its policies. Furthermore, he recognized the efforts made by the United States to advocate for the release of political prisoners, indicating a united front among nations against the ongoing oppression faced by Belarusians under Lukashenko’s rule.