Lithuanian premier hints at closing border with Belarus again if security threats persist

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Friday that they could reclose the Belarus border indefinitely if security threats continue, according to the broadcaster LRT.

“Today we see that we can reopen the borders, but we are not ruling out the possibility of closing them again for an unlimited time if the situation deteriorates,” Ruginiene told reporters at Kaunas Airport.

Underlining that use of contraband-carrying balloons launched from Belarus became Lithuania's "new reality," she reaffirmed that they are closing airports "less often" while preparing for new threats.

Ruginiene also emphasized that closing the border alone will not stop the balloon launches and that Lithuania is implementing broader measures to target the smugglers behind them.

The Lithuanian government decided on Wednesday to reopen its border crossings with Belarus earlier than the originally scheduled Nov. 30 date.

Lithuania’s decision to close its border crossings came after helium balloons from Belarus repeatedly entered its airspace, prompting the country to shut airports and border points.

Ruginiene further described Belarus’ ongoing blockade preventing Lithuanian trucks from returning, even after border checkpoints reopened, as a “hybrid attack.”

"The fact that trucks still cannot return shows we were right and that we were fighting against a hybrid attack," she said.