Prepares for Russia's invasion? Politico reveals Lithuania’s plan for Suwałki Gap

"These roads [are] critical to us from a security and defense perspective. They've always been part of our civil-military planning as key ground routes for allied support during a crisis," said Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas in a phone interview with the media autlet.

What is the Suwałki Gap

The Suwałki Gap is a sparsely populated stretch of forested plain 100 km wide, connecting Poland and Lithuania and bordering Kremlin ally Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. It is considered one of NATO’s most vulnerable points, serving as a vital land gap linking the Baltic states with the rest of the alliance.

Currently, two main roads pass through Lithuania: one runs from Kaunas in Lithuania to Warsaw and is part of the Via Baltica military corridor, and the other is a regular route between the Lithuanian capital Vilnius and the Polish city of Augustów.

At present, Lithuania, together with Poland, is taking steps to expand its military infrastructure beyond the Via Baltica, which is the main route for moving allied reinforcements to the country, by modernizing the Vilnius–Augustów road to dual-use standards for civilian and military needs.

Via Baltica and the Rail Baltica line – a project to build a high-speed rail connection from the Baltics to Poland – currently serve as the main channels for military mobility.

What does Lithuania’s plan include?

The goal is to improve the flow of goods, ease the movement of troops, and support the potential evacuation of civilians in the event of war.

"It's just one more option to ensure better logistics in times of need," said Godliauskas.

These efforts are part of a broader European push to invest in dual-use infrastructure – projects designed to meet both civilian and military needs. Countries like Spain, Belgium, and Slovakia are carrying out similar modernizations.

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that the EU will need to spend at least 70 billion euros on urgently adapting its rail, road, maritime, and air corridors.

In addition to increasing mobility, the Suwałki project may also include new border security measures.

"Especially in the Suwałki area, there are talks about new protections along the borders with Kaliningrad and Belarus," said Godliauskas, mentioning discussions on placing anti-mobility elements near or on the borders, such as road checkpoints and blocking systems like concrete barriers.

Not only protection along the borders of Russia and Belarus

Godliauskas also stated that ensuring freedom of movement of troops and goods along the two roads is a priority, adding that such border protection operations will likely be closely monitored by Russia as "sensitive and vital" information.

He also added that the security measures go beyond the physical realm.

"We’re discussing how to address GPS spoofing and jamming from Russia, which is already affecting our civil aviation and navigation systems," he added.

The full scope of the project involves reconstructing 113 km of roads and upgrading eight bridges. Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Transport Roderikas Žiobakas recently told the media autlet that the work is expected to be completed by 2028.

Godliauskas was more cautious with the timelines. "With multinational projects, things can take longer. But we hope that the geopolitical situation, our interest and Poland's capabilities will allow us to reach that timeline," he said.

Lithuania wants to receive EU funding and involve Poland

Lithuania hopes to receive EU funding for this project.

"We’ll be lobbying the EU — together with Poland, Estonia, and Latvia — to ensure these projects are prioritized," said Godliauskas.

Although the road project aligns with the EU and NATO military mobility goals, it is officially not part of any program of these organizations and is instead funded as a bilateral initiative between the Polish and Lithuanian ministries of transport and defense.

"We’ll invest in the section up to the Lithuanian border, and we’re asking Poland to upgrade their side of the Augustów road to meet military mobility standards," said Godliauskas.

Threat of a Russian invasion of NATO through the Suwałki Gap

According to Politico’s assessment, in the event of a conflict with NATO, the Suwałki Gap – the strategic stretch between Belarus and Kaliningrad – could become the Kremlin’s first target.

Previously, The Times reported that Russia is theoretically capable of seizing this gap and cutting off the Baltic states from their allies in just two hours.

We remind you that in March last year, the head of the Belarusian regime, Alexander Lukashenko, mentioned the Suwałki Gap in a conversation and hurled accusations at Warsaw and Vilnius.