Lithuania reserves the right to close transit to and from Russia’s Kaliningrad after closing the Belarusian border in response to dozens of smuggler balloons grounding flights, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told LRT RADIO on Tuesday.
“We retain the possibility to close transit if it is needed to ensure our security. Of course, this would be done in coordination with EU institutions and member states,” Budrys said.
Vilnius would close the transit scheme, which is vital for Moscow to maintain connections with its exclave, if Lithuania were to establish the Kremlin’s involvement in what Lithuanian and EU officials called a hybrid attack from Belarus.
Lithuania closed the border with Belarus on Monday after dozens of cigarette-smuggling balloons breached the country’s airspace last week, grounding flights at Kaunas and Vilnius airports.
“No one can limit Lithuania’s national security measures, or what we decide to do to prevent threats, protect our citizens, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. If necessary, we will be in a situation where we will take everything required to ensure security,” Budrys said.
Russian cargo and passenger trains, as well as road traffic, can pass Lithuania to and from the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic coast as part of an agreement between the European Union and Moscow.
After 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania started imposing EU sanctions on freight, with Moscow accusing Vilnius of imposing a blockade, which sparked a short-lived crisis.
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Lithuania’s top diplomat stressed that the state can take all necessary measures to protect its security if needed.
The Foreign Ministry said on Monday that border restrictions would not affect Kaliningrad transit. The possibility of restricting it was raised over the weekend by President Gitanas Nausėda.
His adviser Deividas Matulionis told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday that closing Kaliningrad transit would be the most complex and “legally complicated” measure and is not currently under consideration.
“[But] if we see that everything continues as it is and our airports face serious problems, we must take all possible measures,” Matulionis said, adding that it was a way to “draw the attention of the European Commission”.
According to Budrys, Lithuania’s current priority is Belarus, primarily by seeking tougher sanctions against Minsk, as the damage caused by the balloons is linked “to Belarusian activity”.
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