Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has slammed Lithuania’s decision to close the border between the two countries as “absurd” and “a crazy gamble.”
Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport four times last week after smugglers launched balloons into its airspace from Belarus. Each time, it also temporarily shut its border with Belarus.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė then said on Monday that Lithuania is prepared to close the border for “an indefinite period” and shoot down any more balloons should the incidents continue, Lithuanian outlet LRT reported.
According to Belarusian state-run news service BelTA, Lukashenko called the decision “absurd” and “a crazy gamble” during the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on Tuesday.
“Even for a small country, Lithuania, it is petty,” he said, adding that “we are not talking about any extraordinary smuggling.”
Lithuania has said the balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes from Belarus into the EU, but it also blames Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
Ruginienė said that closing the border indefinitely “sends a clear signal to Belarus that no hybrid attack will be tolerated here, and we will take the strictest possible measures to stop such actions.”
Other Topics of Interest
Lithuania Shuts Belarus Border as Balloons Force Closure of Two Busiest Airports
Officials said “tens of balloons” had been spotted on the radar in Lithuanian skies, leading to the closure of both Vilnius and Kaunas airports.
Closed borders
Lithuania’s closure of its roughly 680-kilometer border with Belarus comes with several exceptions.
Restrictions will not apply to diplomats, while Lithuanian and EU citizens, as well as people holding a Lithuanian residency permit, will still be permitted to enter from Belarus, LRT reported, citing Lithuanian officials.
The State Border Guard Service also said lorries holding transit exemptions would be allowed to cross the border.
Lithuanian officials did not say whether the rail link with Belarus would be affected by the border closures.