In the same appeal, he said, EU countries were urged to ban Russian and Belarusian ships from entering ports across the EU.

"Today, I signed a joint appeal by the three Baltic and Polish transport ministers to EU institutions and other counterparts, calling for an EU-wide ban on road freight to and from Russia and Belarus, while at the same time banning the entry of these countries' vessels into EU ports," Skuodis posted on Facebook.

"In the face of Russia's continuous brutal aggression in Ukraine, EU action is needed here and now. We hope that EU heads of state and government, meeting in Brussels on Thursday, will not hesitate," he added.

Activists in Lithuania and Poland have recently protested against road freight transport between EU countries and Russia.

Lithuania has for some time been coordinating with other countries in the region an initiative to ban Russian and Belarusian ships from entering their ports.

But Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Tuesday the best thing would be for the EU to take the decision as this would close potential routes for legal disputes.

Interviewed by BNS, representatives of Lithuanian ship owners' and agents' organizations said earlier that the latest sanctions might not be fully implemented because ships' links to Russia could not always be traced quickly.

Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, EU and other Western countries closed their airspace to Russian planes.

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