Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov wrote an article for the state-run newspaper "SB. Belarus Today" stating Lithuania and its people have been suffering from sanctions against Belarus. The article calls on Lithuanians to have "civilized communication with their neighbors". Commenting on the minister's message pro-government political analyst Petr Petrovsky claimed on the "Alpha Radio" air on September 27, 2024, that Lithuania is facing an economic disaster without Belarus.
"What is the state of the Lithuanian economy today, which has the highest inflation rate in the European Union? And what is the reason for all this? Because of the aggressive, unfriendly policy of Lithuania," the political analyst said.
In fact, Lithuania has the lowest inflation rate among the EU countries. The annual rate in August 2024 was 0.8%; according to preliminary data, it was even lower in September — 0.4%. Thus, the inflation growth rate in Lithuania is 15 times lower than in Belarus, where the annual rate reached 6% in September.