The self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, commented on the incidents with meteorological probes in Lithuania. He stated that Lithuanians allegedly smuggled cigarettes across the border themselves to make money on resale.
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Alexander Lukashenko accused Lithuania of provocations with weather probes, claiming that Lithuanians were involved in smuggling cigarettes across the border.The European Union and Lithuania are preparing new sanctions in response to Belarus’ actions with weather probes that crossed into Lithuanian airspace.Lukashenko shifted responsibility for the weather probes over Lithuania’s territory to the country itself, blaming the authorities for creating the conditions that led to the situation.
Lukashenko shifted responsibility for weather probes over the territory of Lithuania to the country itself.
“Their own authorities put them in such conditions, interrupting normal trade relations and building a fence on the border,” Lukashenko emphasized. “The authorities, Lithuanian and Polish, you are to blame for this happening. Why did you put people in such conditions? Why did you push them onto the path of crime?”
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He also stated that the Belarusians “absolutely legally bought cigarettes from the factory and handed them over to the Lithuanians who arrived in Belarus, receiving their own money,” in return, they “transported the goods to their accomplices using balloons.”
We set up this business. Our factory buys cigarettes at a good price, sells them to Lithuanians. We have to throw them over the fence. They threw them in small portions on these bullets. There, the Lithuanians accepted the bullets and took these cigarettes. They didn’t sell them in Lithuania. In the Netherlands and England. They say the cigarettes are the most expensive there.
He added that he does not consider such actions a crime, since people paid for the goods and simply wanted to make money.
He did not provide evidence of the involvement of Lithuanian citizens in the transportation of cigarettes.
Recall that on October 29, the European Union issued a statement condemning Belarus’ provocative actions regarding the penetration of weather balloons into Lithuanian airspace.
On October 31, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė stated that Vilnius would respond decisively to any violations of its airspace and was preparing a new package of sanctions against Belarus.
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