Lithuania Maintains Border Closure with Belarus Amid Traffic Disruptions

Lithuania has closed its border with Belarus for a month due to incursions of weather balloons, causing significant traffic disruptions and stranding thousands of lorries.

The border closure, initiated by Lithuania, follows the intrusion of weather balloons from Belarus, which disrupted air traffic at Vilnius and Kaunas Airports in October.
Thousands of lorries and semi-trailers, primarily driven by Lithuanian drivers, are currently stranded in Belarus due to the ongoing border restrictions imposed by Lithuania.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė confirmed that the government is actively seeking solutions to the situation but has ruled out any possibility of reopening the border in the near future.

Why It Matters

This border closure reflects escalating tensions between Lithuania and Belarus, highlighting regional security concerns and the impact on trade and transportation in Eastern Europe, particularly affecting the Euro economic zone.