March 23, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka “has decided to allow Lithuanian-registered freight vehicles to leave the country,” the Belarusian State Customs Committee reports.
“Currently, more than 1,900 vehicles, including tractor-trailers, trailers and semi-trailers, are parked at designated parking lots. Their complete safety has been ensured throughout the entire period,” it noted.
The Belarusian government’s press office also announced a “significant reduction” in parking fees for Lithuania-registered trucks, adding that once each carrier pays the parking fees, the trucks will be allowed to leave.
Hundreds of foreign-registered trucks, mostly from Lithuania, have been stranded in Belarus since last fall. Minsk barred the trucks from leaving the country after Vilnius closed the Medininkai–Kamienny Łoh and Šalčininkai–Bieniakoni border checkpoints for three weeks in late October and November 2025, following incursions by air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus.
Belarus pushed for consultations between the two countries’ foreign ministries, while Lithuania rejected direct diplomatic talks, having significantly downgraded official contacts after what it described as Belarus’ rigged 2020 presidential election.
Vilnius views political negotiations with Minsk as an attempt to break the international isolation of Łukašenka’s regime and potentially pave the way for easing sanctions.
Minsk’s holding hundreds of foreign-registered trucks in the country since November is unacceptable and unjustified, the European Commission responded to a complaint by LINAVA, the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association, that cited significant property damage caused by Minsk’s refusal to release the vehicles.
Łukašenka announced the release of Lithuanian trucks on March 20, one day after his talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, who negotiated the release of 250 jailed Belarusian dissidents and raised Lithuania’s concerns over stranded trucks.
