The European Union is developing further sanctions against the Belarusian regime in connection with the situation involving weather balloons at the Belarus–Lithuania border. This was announced on X by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, following a phone call with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.
“I just spoke with President Gitanas Nauseda. The situation at the border with Belarus is worsening, with the growing incursions of smuggling balloons into Lithuania’s airspace. Such hybrid attack by the Lukashenka regime is completely unacceptable. Lithuania continues to have our full solidarity. We are preparing further measures under our sanctions regime.”, von der Leyen said.
Weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes continue to cross from Belarus into Lithuania. Because of this, Vilnius Airport has been forced to suspend operations. Hundreds of Lithuanian trucks also remain blocked in Belarus, which is not allowing them to leave after Lithuania reopened its border. Today Minsk reported an intrusion of a drone from Lithuania into Belarusian airspace.