Belarus threatens Lithuania over border closure

"Following Lithuania’s unilateral closure of border checkpoints, over 1,100 Lithuanian cargo trucks have been left on Belarusian territory," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The ministry said Belarus is relocating them to specially equipped parking areas near the Kotlovka checkpoint.

"Out of humanitarian considerations, drivers have been given the opportunity to leave Belarus and return home until Lithuania restores normal border operations," the statement said.

The ministry emphasized that all losses and delays stem from"Vilnius’s reckless and politicized actions."

"Belarus reserves the right to take all lawful measures regarding the vehicles in question," the Belarusian MFA added.

Belarusian provocations

In October, Vilnius International Airport was temporarily closed several times due to hot air balloons coming from Belarus. As a result, around 3,500 passengers and 25 flights were affected: four flights were canceled and seven were redirected.

In response, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened a meeting of the National Security Commission, which decided to close the border with Belarus for a month.

In November, the provocations continued: operations at Vilnius Airport had to be temporarily suspended again due to unidentified drones appearing in the airspace near the airport.

The EU considers such incidents a deliberate hybrid campaign by the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. The European Union warned that if similar provocations are repeated, new sanctions against Belarus could be imposed.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would help Lithuania protect its airspace from threats coming from Russia and Belarus.