Инга Ругинене. Фото: x.com/IRuginiene
The United States helped Lithuania resolve the problem of weather balloons crossing from Belarus and continues efforts to secure the release of Lithuanian trucks stuck in Belarus. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said this in an interview with Delfi.
According to Ruginienė, Lithuania attempted to negotiate with Belarus over the weather balloons that were disrupting airport operations, but diplomatic efforts reached a dead end because “there was no feedback or intention to stop this process from the Belarusian side.” The United States helped resolve the issue. Thanks to their involvement and the closure of the border, the intensity of the hybrid attack was reduced and diplomatic talks with Belarus began.
“I am very grateful to America, which joined us in this process and helped with many issues,” the Lithuanian prime minister said.
According to Ruginienė, Lithuania continues working with the United States to secure the return of Lithuanian trucks detained in Belarus.
“We are in contact and working every day. And not only regarding the transport sector. You saw that before Christmas people in Belarus were released from prisons, political prisoners. There are many issues we are coordinating with the Americans, and this work will remain active in the future,” Ruginienė said.
The prime minister noted that Lithuanian transport associations have still not provided the authorities with precise and complete information about the trucks stranded in Belarus.
As for potash fertilisers, the United States warned Lithuania that it would discuss the issue with Belarus but did not exert pressure on Lithuania.
“It was not pressure, there was not even probing. There was no conversation at all. The only thing was that when we met before their trip to Belarus, they warned that ‘we will talk about this topic with Belarus, but it does not concern you’. That is what I heard from them, and we did not discuss it further,” Ruginienė said.
The Lithuanian government decided not to develop this issue until it received signals from the United States, but no such signals have been received so far, Ruginienė added.
In late October 2025, Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed that the United States had demanded he apologise to Lithuania for the weather balloons. “I said: ‘Go to hell.’ And so on. I said we would apologise only if we were guilty. What should I apologise for?” he complained at the time.
On 13 December, after a visit to Minsk and the release of another group of political prisoners, U.S. Special Envoy John Coale stated that Lukashenka had agreed to do everything necessary to stop the launch of weather balloons.