Lithuania ready to close borders with Belarus and Russia anytime – minister

July 27, BPN. The Lithuanian interior minister has said Vilnius is closely watching the Wagner Group’s arrival in Belarus and is prepared to shut down the borders with its eastern neighbor and Russia.

The Kremlin-linked military contractor is training Belarusian reservists near Asipovičy, Mahiloŭ region, according to earlier reports.

The minister, Agnė Bilotaitė, told Žinių radijas that Lithuania is drafting directives in case the situation changes.

She also noted a decrease in illegal migration from Belarus. However, the Belarusian and Russian regimes can direct migrant flows to Lithuania anytime, she added. Bilotaitė described this as a means of pressure on Lithuania and its neighbors.

The minister said earlier that authorities will use a government-authorized plan to protect the border if the security environment worsens. It is being updated in light of a new geopolitical situation and threats, she said.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said the presence of Wagner fighters in Belarus does not fundamentally alter the regional security situation.

But President Gitanas Nausėda seemingly contradicted him by saying it would take eastern security leaders just a few hours to deploy the mercenaries to EU borders.

Lithuania is powerful enough to counter this threat, he said.