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Belarus’ President Aliaksandr Lukashenka threatened to seize over 1,000 Lithuanian trucks stranded in his country on Monday, following the closure of the border after repeated incursions by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.
Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member, closed the two border crossings with Belarus on 29 October after the meteorological balloons flying from Belarus caused repeated disruption to air traffic at the airport in the capital Vilnius.
The border will remain closed until at least the end of November.
Lithuanian officials said the flight disruptions were part of anti-Western activities by Russia-allied Belarus intended to undermine stability.
Lithuania borders Belarus as well as the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Lukashenka denounced the border closure as a “mad scam” and part of a “hybrid war” against his country. He suggested that Vilnius itself needs to combat smuggling of contraband.
Belarusian authorities have refused to open a corridor exclusively to evacuate the stranded Lithuanian trucks, demanding that Lithuania fully reopen the border.
Lukashenka said on Monday that up to 1,200 Lithuanian trucks were stuck in Belarus because of the closed border and warned that authorities could seize them if Lithuania fails to reopen it.
“If they don’t do it in the next few days, we will make a decision in accordance with our law,” he said. “Up to the confiscation of the vehicles.”
Lukashenka said the trucks were moved to paid parking areas.
“They can’t just loiter on the roads — 1,100 or 1,200 big trucks,” he said.
Erlandas Mikėnas of the Lithuanian National Road Carriers’ Association said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the drivers who were stranded with their vehicles felt increasingly “tired and angry,” and some cargo could get spoiled.
The tensions come as Europe is on high alert after drone incursions into NATO airspace reached an unprecedented scale since September.
Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATO’s response.
Lukashenka noted that Belarusian authorities would raise the Lithuanian border closure in their contacts with Washington.
In August, Lukashenka spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump that sparked speculation of a possible thaw in relations.
The following month, Lukashenka pardoned 52 political prisoners as part of a US-brokered deal that eased sanctions on Belarus’ national carrier Belavia, including the resumption of parts supplies and aircraft servicing.
Trump announced on Sunday that John Coale, who helped broker the deal, was being nominated as the US special envoy to Belarus and would work on negotiating the release of more prisoners.
Additional sources • AP