It appears that the saga of Lithuanian heavy trucks seized by the Belarusian regime is nearing its end. At the same time, the stated goals have not been achieved by official Minsk. Perhaps it will still manage to extract some money. The remaining question is what forced Aliaksandr Lukashenka to make a compromise.
Stranded Trucks
On October 22 last year, the Lithuanian government decided to close the border with Belarus. The reason was the mass incursions of weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarusian territory, which repeatedly led to the suspension of operations at Vilnius Airport. The border was to remain closed until November 30.
In response, Minsk restricted the departure of trucks belonging to Lithuanian carriers at the Belarusian-Lithuanian section of the border. Trucks with Lithuanian registration were also banned from leaving via Poland and Latvia. Carriers and their equipment found themselves trapped, with a significant number of vehicles stranded in Belarus. According to the Belarusian State Customs Committee, nearly 5,000 Lithuanian tractors and trailers were affected. It was announced that these vehicles would only be able to leave Belarus after the border was reopened.
These figures appear to have been significantly overstated. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry spoke of “more than 1,100 freight vehicles of Lithuanian carriers.” The national road carriers’ association LINAVA reported around 1,500 trucks stranded in Belarus. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the number was “about 1,000 Lithuanian trucks.” Even taking the lowest estimate, the situation dealt a serious blow to Lithuanian transport companies.
Lithuania was ready to open the Benyakoni–Šalčininkai crossing for the departure of stranded trucks, but the authorities in Minsk refused to establish an evacuation corridor. As the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated, “there can be no talk of any selective measures.” Official Minsk demanded the full reopening of the border.
State Racketeering
Having effectively taken the trucks hostage, the Belarusian regime saw a new opportunity to pressure its neighbor.
On November 10, Lukashenka said that, on his orders, all Lithuanian vehicles had been gathered at specially equipped sites near border crossings and placed under guard. He also threatened confiscation. A “price” was announced — the amount carriers would have to pay for each day their vehicles remained at Belarusian impound lots.
“The vehicles have been collected and are under guard. Those guarding them asked, I believe, 120 euros per day. Pay for the security. Multiply 120 euros by the number of days — pay and take your vehicles with cargo. If this is not done in the next few days, we will make a decision, as the Foreign Ministry has said, in accordance with our laws, including confiscation,” Lukashenka said.
At the same time, Belarusian customs threatened fines for drivers and carriers who failed to report to designated paid parking areas near checkpoints. Within days, the Interior Ministry reported that “order” had been established at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.
Pressure on All Fronts
Lithuanian carriers were incurring losses. According to LINAVA vice president Oleg Tarasov, they paid about €5 million into the Belarusian budget in just one week. Many trucks were loaded, and in some cases the cargo was worth more than the tractor and trailer transporting it.
The Belarusian regime’s calculation appears to have been not only to extract money from the situation, but primarily to pressure Lithuanian authorities. The aim was to provoke protests among Lithuanian carriers — rallies, road blockades and other actions that could become leverage against the government in Vilnius. It also sought to force Lithuania into negotiations with official Minsk, allowing the regime to demonstrate strength and claim a break from political isolation with an EU member state. Lithuania understood this clearly, with its Foreign Ministry describing Minsk’s actions as “blackmail.”
The plan did not work. LINAVA did organize a protest outside the Lithuanian parliament, urging the government to take real measures and return the trucks. A petition was submitted, but, according to carriers, the government did not respond. More radical steps were not taken. As LINAVA president Erlandas Mikėnas explained, they had no illusions about Lukashenka’s regime, understanding “what kind of country it is and the legal chaos there.”
Lukashenka continued to apply pressure. He instructed Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou to “organize negotiations on normalizing the situation and restoring the full functioning of border checkpoints, with the participation of Lithuanian authorized representatives.”
Coordination was assigned to Security Council State Secretary Aliaksandr Valfovich, who openly pressured Lithuania, saying the trucks remained in Belarus due to Vilnius’s unwillingness to engage in political dialogue.
Lithuania did not yield. Presidential adviser Deividas Matulionis said Vilnius saw no point in negotiations at the foreign ministry level and was only ready for technical contacts. This was not enough for Minsk.
Time Running Out
The border reopened in November, but the trucks did not leave Belarus. Despite promises that “as soon as Lithuania lifts restrictions, all trucks will return home in order of arrival,” Belarus allowed only vehicles that entered after the reopening to cross. Bargaining continued.
Meanwhile, parking fees kept accumulating. From November 10 to the present, the trucks had been parked for 129 days, amounting to nearly €15,480 per vehicle at €120 per day.
Lithuanian carriers expected confiscations, as Belarusian authorities had said vehicles would be seized after four months. The deadline expired on March 10.
Suddenly, Minsk signaled readiness for compromise.
A Clear Failure
Yesterday, Belarusian Prime Minister Aliaksandr Turchyn met with Lithuanian and Polish carriers. He said Belarus did not intend to confiscate the trucks and instead wanted to reach an agreement.
Before that, however, carriers were pressured into signing “appeals” to Lukashenka. State media recorded apologetic-style interviews with them after the meeting.
Turchyn said Belarus, “despite openly unfriendly policies of neighboring states,” was taking a “constructive position” and intended to “take into account the interests of all parties.”
This suggests Minsk failed to achieve its goals through pressure and is now stepping back. No one engaged seriously with the regime. Turchyn said Lithuanian officials had been invited to talks for four months, but “the Lithuanian government likely has more important matters.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakreta was even more candid, saying Belarus had no official communication channel with Vilnius and failed to obtain relevant information even from Poland. Numerous attempts to resolve the issue politically and diplomatically had failed.
Carriers are still expected to pay. The final amount remains unclear and is to be determined after a report is prepared.
Turchyn has presented proposals to Lukashenka. Despite Lithuania calling the meeting a propaganda exercise, there is a chance the issue will be resolved soon — possibly ahead of a visit by US presidential envoy John Coale — and the trucks, albeit for a price, will regain their freedom.
“I Have a Feeling They Were Involved”
Notably, both Minsk and Vilnius had previously signaled intentions to involve Washington.
Announcing the decision to place trucks in impound lots, Lukashenka said he planned to discuss the situation with the United States.
“We will discuss everything else soon during talks with the US delegation. I have a feeling they were involved,” he said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also said Lithuania alone could not influence Belarus and that EU and US measures were needed. He noted the US had “certain plans” regarding Belarus and warned that lack of goodwill from Minsk would have consequences.
Now, on the eve of the expected visit by Coale, Minsk signals compromise. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has discussed the issue with a senior US official.
This hardly appears coincidental. It is more likely the United States pressured Lukashenka into backing down. The anticipated “consequences” may have been taken seriously. As in the well-known joke — the forester arrived and restored order. It seems dialogue with Washington is more important for Lukashenka than saving face in the conflict with Lithuania. Perhaps this could lead to further positive outcomes.
