Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration — Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. Archival photo MOSCOW, January 13 Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov did not answer the question of whether Russia is ready to take over the transit of Belarusian potassium after the termination of the agreement between Belaruskali and the Lithuanian Railways (LZD), but indicated that Moscow would not abandon its partner. On Wednesday, the Minister of Transport of the Baltic Republic Marius Skuodis said that the Lithuanian government considered the agreement between Belaruskali and the Latvian Railways to be contrary to the national interests of the country and decided to terminate it on February 1, 2022. 
Lithuania announced the termination of the contract for the transportation of Belarusian potassium «I will leave your question unanswered, a sensitive substance. Belarus is our partner, and we will not abandon it and will not abandon it,» Peskov told reporters, answering the question whether Russia is now ready to take on himself the transit of Belarusian potash and whether he fears sanctions in this regard. He also did not talk about whether it is planned to discuss this problem at the highest level. In Lithuania, a scandal erupted after the United States imposed sanctions against Belaruskali, and railways «continued the transit of Belarusian products through the territory of Lithuania, for which they have already received an advance payment. The heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport submitted their resignations, but the Prime Minister did not satisfy the petition. The head of the Latvian Railway, Mantas Bartushka, resigned. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that the situation around Belaruskali caused great damage to the reputation of the state. Against this background, the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania announced plans to propose to the government to introduce, through the adoption of a law, sanctions against Belaruskali at the national level. To this end, the ministry has prepared a bill that prohibits the transit of goods from Belarus.
