Lithuania reserves the right to close Kaliningrad transit if necessary to ensure the national security of the country, says Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budris.
According to him, such a step may be taken if there is evidence of Russian interference in the smuggling of cigarettes from Belarus using weather balloons and after informing the European Union (EU).
“We reserve the right to close the transit if it is necessary to ensure our security. Of course, after informing the institutions of the European Union and the member states,” said Budris to LRT radio on Tuesday.
“However, the situation itself must still meet certain criteria. One of them is that it must be directed against Russia or related to its actions. Therefore, today I would say that this (transit restriction — BNS) should not be excluded at all,” the minister stated.
Kaliningrad transit is carried out based on the existing agreement between the EU and Russia and the obligations outlined in it; however, the head of Lithuanian diplomacy emphasized that the state can take all necessary measures to ensure its security if needed.
Lithuania has indefinitely closed the last two border crossing points with Belarus due to balloons that have repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport and once at Kaunas Airport last week. The Lithuanian leadership considers the flights of balloons to be a hybrid attack by the Minsk regime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Monday that the border restrictions will not affect Kaliningrad transit. The country's president, Gitanas Nausėda, suggested over the weekend to consider the possibility of limiting it.
His advisor, Deividas Matulionis, said on Tuesday to Ziniu radijas that closing Kaliningrad transit would be the most difficult and “legally challenging” measure and that it is not currently being considered. However, according to a representative of the presidential office, this does not mean that it cannot be used in the future.
According to Budris, Lithuania should now prioritize Belarus, primarily seeking stricter sanctions against Minsk, as the damage caused by the balloons is related to “the actions of Belarus.”
