Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko has decried Lithuania’s decision to close its border with Belarus over smuggler balloons disrupting the air traffic and causing airport closures.
Lukashenko called the border closure “a crazy scam” aimed at disrupting Chinese trade flows in the area, even as he nominally said he would be ready to apologise if Minsk was genuinely responsible for the disruptions.
He stated that Lithuania had “come up with an absurd excuse, these balloons, even for a small country like Lithuania.”
“If we are convinced that we are guilty (they are trying to convince us of that right now), we are ready to discuss it in public, we will apologize. Definitely.
“But if some air balloons carrying cigarettes or something else fly over there, I believe that this issue should be resolved over there. After all, they are flying I don’t know where for a reason. Someone over there receives them. Someone is interested in it. It is necessary to find and nip these things in the bud.”
Alexander Lukashenko
Incursions by balloons carrying contraband cigarettes prompted Lithuania, a NATO and EU member state to close Vilnius airport four times last week and shut its border crossings with Belarus temporarily.
Vilnius has said the balloons are being sent by smugglers, but blames the authoritarian President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, for not stopping them.
Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Inga Ruginienė told a press conference that the incidents were “hybrid attacks” and announced the closure of Lithuania’s Belarus border crossings except for travel by diplomats and by EU citizens leaving the neighbouring country.
Yesterday, the Lithuanian Prime Minister authorised the shooting down of smuggling balloons that cross the border from Belarus. “Today we have decided to take the strictest measures, there is no other way,” Ruginienė said, adding that her government may also discuss invoking article 4 of NATO’s treaty to call security consultations.
Speaking about Belarus-EU relations, Lukashenko noted that his country does not consider itself responsible for the deterioration of relations with the West and is ready to work together for peace.
According to the Belarusian President, Europe is not yet prepared for a realistic dialogue with Minsk and does not see “negotiating positions similar to those available to some other countries, like natural resources.” He added, “But we have common sense, endurance, and also advantageous strategic location and the ability to serve as a bridge between the West and the East, as we have always been.”
Also, Lukashenko urged an end to the arms race, saying, “We need dialogue.”
“We need to stop the arms race. We keep saying: no, no, we won’t be drawn into it. But we have been engaged in this arms race for a while. And, given the state the world is in today, countries will spend their last resources in order to ensure their security.”
Alexander Lukashenko
The Belarusian leader emphasized, “We must not view each other through the sights of a machine gun; it is always necessary to talk.”
Lukashenko Decries Plan To Use Russia’s Frozen Assets, Defends Oreshnik Deployment
The Belarusian President also strongly opposed the western plans to use Russian frozen assets calling it “a theft.”
He separately argued that the deployment of the Russian Oreshnik missile system in Belarus was not an aggressive move, but merely a precautionary move to ensure security of his country.
“The deployment of this weapon in Belarus is nothing but a measure in response to the escalation of the situation in the region and to modern threats. Please, let’s step away from it and talks about Oreshnik will stop. But they don’t want to. We don’t threaten anyone. We only take care of our own security.
“Moreover, we are always open to a constructive dialogue and mutual steps to reduce tensions. If our partners in the West are ready for it, then neither we nor Russia will remain in your debt!”
Alexander Lukashenko
He added that Russia and Belarus are not interested in escalation of tensions with Europe.
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