Poland on Thursday rejected Lithuania’s proposal to establish a joint military training facility along their shared border.
The announcement comes after the Lithuanian government unveiled plans for a new military training ground in the Kapčiamiestis area of Lazdijai district, near the borders with Poland and Belarus in the strategically important Suwałki Corridor.
Lithuanian officials said the project aims to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and had invited Poland to co-build and use the facility.
Poland’s Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda told journalists in Suwałki that the Kapčiamiestis site will not be extended into Polish territory.
“Poland is not interested in this at all,” Bejda said.
He added that ongoing discussions are focused on ensuring the range is set at a sufficient distance from the Polish border, partly due to local residents’ protests in the Sejny region.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and request that a significant distance be maintained from our border,” he said.
The Lithuanian government approved the establishment of the Kapčiamiestis training area on Wednesday; the plan still requires parliamentary approval. The decision follows a recommendation last year by the State Defence Council.
The proposal has sparked opposition among local residents and other stakeholders, prompting multiple protests. President Gitanas Nausėda, Defence Minister, and military leadership have visited the community to address concerns.
The Ministry of National Defence has justified the location for its strategic position along the Suwałki Corridor, which it says is optimal for enhancing Lithuania’s defensive capabilities.
The planned training area would cover roughly 14,600 hectares and accommodate 3,500–4,000 troops simultaneously. Large-scale exercises would be held about five times per year, lasting up to 10 days, with smaller drills conducted continuously.
‘Major failure of Lithuanian diplomacy’
Poland’s rejection of a joint military training center with Lithuania has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).
Party leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas said Friday that Warsaw’s stance reflects a failure of Lithuanian diplomacy and poor coordination by top officials.
“News from Poland that Warsaw does not want a joint training ground and would prefer it to be located further from the state border shows a major failure of Lithuanian diplomacy and irresponsible actions by the country’s leadership,” he wrote on social media.
Kasčiūnas accused the government of failing to properly coordinate with allies and of publicly floating ideas without sufficient preparation.
“Ideas and proposals are made public without consulting allies, necessary groundwork is not done, and statements are made in all directions – often with state leaders and ministers contradicting each other,” he said. “Chaos and incompetence dominate interstate relations.”
He also warned that Poland’s decision could be used by populist political forces in Lithuania.
Despite the criticism, Kasčiūnas said the TS-LKD parliamentary group would support legislation establishing the Kapčiamiestis training ground when it comes before the Seimas.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Poland’s decision does not in any way change Lithuania’s plans.
“I do understand the need for sensational headlines – and for the opposition to make empty noises – but nothing has changed, the plan remains what it was,” Kaunas posted on Facebook.
In a video comment released by the Defence Ministry a little later, Kaunas said that after meeting with Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in January, his message has been that Poland would like to train at the Kapčiamiestis training ground, not build it together with Lithuania.
“It means training together at the Kapčiamiestis training ground, and the idea of a joint training ground could perhaps be developed in the future. Such a decision has been made in Poland today, that Poland perhaps does not see the need to create a training ground on its side now, because they have and are expanding their training facilities in other places, while Lithuania will possibly train with Poland at the Kapčiamiestis training ground in the future,” he said.
Kaunas said Vilnius has agreed that the new training facility will be established at least 500 metres from the Polish border.
“The Suwalki Corridor is a critical place in the event of war, so on the Lithuanian side we must do everything possible to ensure the defensibility of the Suwalki Corridor,” said Kaunas.
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