Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Thursday that her government will respond firmly to repeated airspace violations by smuggler balloons launched from Belarus and will not engage in any talks with Minsk.
“There will be no talks with Belarus. It is not a country with which you can talk or negotiate,” Ruginienė told the radio Žinių Radijas. “We all understand that most of the balloons could be stopped on Belarusian territory. If our neighbouring country fails to do so, there must also be an appropriate response from our side.”
Several dozen weather balloons used by smugglers to carry cigarettes entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The incident disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport, affecting around 30 flights and more than 4,000 passengers, and led to the temporary closure of the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border checkpoints.
Ruginienė warned on Wednesday that Lithuania would fully close its border with Belarus if such incidents recur. She said the government is also preparing other measures, including tougher penalties for smuggling and consultations with Lithuanian companies on technical ways to block the balloons.
Her earlier comments urging Belarus to take a “responsible approach” to the incidents, regardless of political relations, drew criticism from opposition lawmakers and analysts, who argued that any expectations of goodwill from Minsk were naive.
“I am in a position where, like it or not, I cannot avoid certain situations, whatever I say,” Ruginienė said Thursday. “But what I do, my decisions and actions, clearly show my stance. There will be no talks with Belarus, and if we see actions against us, if smuggling continues across the border, our agencies will respond firmly and immediately.”
“I made that message clear yesterday, and I am repeating it today,” she added.
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