{"id":162526,"date":"2025-10-31T19:56:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/162526\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"minsk-hints-it-may-keep-border-crossings-to-lithuania-poland-closed","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/162526\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk hints it may keep border crossings to Lithuania, Poland closed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (mfa.gov.by)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 31,<\/strong> Pozirk.<\/strong> <\/em>The timing of the reopening of border crossings between Belarus and neighbouring European Union countries is not up to the prime ministers of Poland and Lithuania, foreign ministry spokesman Rus\u0142an Varanko\u016d has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opening of border crossings would only be possible after \u201cbilateral preparations,\u201d Russia\u2019s TASS <\/em>reported, quoting him as saying. \u201cThe resumption of checkpoint operations will not be decided unilaterally,\u201d he stressed, implying that Minsk may hold off reopening checkpoints at shared borders with Poland and Lithuania despite decisions by Warsaw and Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk will agree to open the border \u201conly when it is fully prepared in terms of infrastructure, personnel, and, most importantly, security,\u201d the official added, accusing Belarus\u2019 western neighbors of inconsistent behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to open two additional border crossings on October 28 in a surprise move weeks after Poland shut its border completely accusing Belarus of being a source of hybrid threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, yesterday, Poland postponed the opening of two border crossings with Belarus by several weeks in solidarity with Lithuania, which closed its border to Belarus until November 30 over frequent incursions of cigarette-smuggling weather balloons from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, Poland operates only the Terespol-Brest checkpoint for passenger traffic and the Kukuryki-Kaz\u0142ovi\u010dy for cargoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bobrowniki crossing has remained closed since February 2023. Warsaw made its reopening conditional on the release of Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut, sentenced in Belarus to eight years in prison in a case widely regarded as politically motivated. Ku\u017anica was closed in 2021 over the irregular migration crisis, which Warsaw regards as a hybrid attack by Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the border closure by Lithuania, Belarusians wishing to enter the European Union are now limited to two options \u2014 Brest in the Polish direction and Hryharo\u016d\u0161\u010dyna, located on the border with Latvia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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