{"id":164127,"date":"2025-11-14T13:17:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/164127\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuanian-polish-fms-meet-to-discuss-coordinated-pressure-on-lukasenka","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/164127\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian, Polish FMs meet to discuss coordinated pressure on \u0141uka\u0161enka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 14, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The foreign ministers of Lithuania and Poland met in Warsaw yesterday to discuss coordinated pressure on Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime, the Lithuanian foreign office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting took place days before Poland is expected to reopen two checkpoints on its border with Belarus, in Bobrowniki and Ku\u017anica, while Lithuania keeps its border shut over incursions by cigarette-smuggling balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not the first time Lithuania and Poland have faced hybrid attacks by the Minsk regime,\u201d K\u0119stutis Budrys of Lithuania was quoted as saying at the meeting with Poland\u2019s Rados\u0142aw Sikorski.
\u201cMigrant flows continue to look for ways to illegally cross the border, while Lithuania keeps registering violations of its airspace by contraband balloons. These are deliberate actions by Belarus aimed at destabilizing our democratic societies. Only by coordinating our actions and taking a united stance can we ensure that our measures are effective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania closed its last two operating border checkpoints on October 28 in an effort to pressure Minsk to curb cigarette smugglers who have been sending shipments across the border using helium weather balloons. The move prompted Warsaw to delay the reopening of two Polish\u2013Belarusian border crossings originally scheduled for November 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 29, the Lithuanian government decided to keep the shared border with Belarus closed until November 30 following repeated airspace violations, warning that the closure may be extended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The checkpoints in Medininkai and \u0160al\u010dininkai had been the only ones handling all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus after Vilnius closed the \u0160umskas and Tvere\u010dius crossings in 2023 and Lavori\u0161k\u0117s and Raigardas in 2024, citing national security concerns and smuggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus has described the Lithuanian decision as \u201ca politicized and ill-considered move\u201d that has caused significant losses for transport companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, the Belarusian leader instructed Foreign Minister Maksim Ry\u017eanko\u016d to negotiate the reopening of the border with Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Poland has announced plans to reopen two border checkpoints on November 17. The move is expected to be part of a deal under which Belarus would release several political prisoners, including ethnic Poles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a meeting with villagers in the Lepel district on October 31, \u0141uka\u0161enka accused Warsaw of reneging on an agreement to reopen the border in exchange for the release of jailed journalist Andrzej Poczobut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poczobut, a Polish minority activist, was sentenced in Belarus to eight years in prison in a case widely regarded as politically motivated. Warsaw closed the Bobrowniki checkpoint in February 2023 and linked its reopening to his release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had contacts with the Poles. They are asking for these Poczobuts and admit they are spies,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s press office quoted him as saying. \u201cOkay, we\u2019ll do the exchange. You want Poczobut \u2014 we are ready to go along with that. [Poles respond:] \u2018Oh, thank you, and so on. We are ready to talk to you; we are opening the checkpoints.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, \u0141uka\u0161enka said Warsaw later changed course. \u201cLate last night, the KGB reported to me that they [the Poles] had backed out in solidarity with Lithuania over the balloons. I told them to send my regards. They withdrew \u2014 well, we\u2019ll withdraw too. We\u2019re putting the matter on hold. When they\u2019re ready, they can come and we will talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had announced plans on October 28 to reopen two additional border crossings \u2014 a surprise move made just weeks after Poland had closed its border entirely, accusing Belarus of mounting hybrid threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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