Lukashenko shifts blame to Lithuania in strange 'balloon smuggling' story
Photo: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (Getty Images)
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, offered a strange explanation for the appearance of dozens of weather balloons that recently crossed from Belarus into Lithuania, Delfi reports.
During a speech on Friday, Lukashenko claimed that Lithuanians themselves had been "sending cigarettes on weather balloons" to make money from smuggling.
"They were pushed to this by their own authorities, which destroyed normal trade ties and built a fence on the border. The Lithuanian and Polish governments — this is your fault. You put people in such conditions, driving them to crime," Lukashenko said.
He insisted that Belarusians "legally bought cigarettes at factories and sold them to Lithuanians," who allegedly used balloons to move the goods across the border.
"Our people bought cigarettes at a good price, sold them to Lithuanians, and they sent them over the fence on balloons. Then the goods supposedly ended up not only in Lithuania but also in the Netherlands and England, where cigarette prices are the highest," he added.
Lukashenko also said he saw no reason to punish the Belarusians involved.
"How can I punish them? They wanted to earn money — and they did. They didn't steal the cigarettes; they bought them," he said.
Balloons in Lithuania
At the end of October, several balloons carrying contraband cargo were spotted in Lithuania after flying in from Belarus. Because of these incidents, Lithuanian airports temporarily halted operations four times. Dozens of flights were delayed or redirected, causing disruptions for thousands of passengers.
Earlier, the Lithuanian government decided to temporarily close its border with Belarus. The restrictions will remain in place from October 30 to November 30, with a possible extension.
The European Union has also said it is ready to impose new sanctions on Belarus if Minsk continues provocations in EU member states, including incidents involving balloons detected over Lithuania.
