Lithuania to mine border with Russia, Belarus in new $1.2 billion defense plan

Lithuania will invest 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over the next decade to strengthen defenses along its borders with Russia and Belarus, the Defense Ministry announced on May 5.

Lithuania borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to the southwest and Belarus to the east and south. Tensions between NATO and Moscow have escalated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The ministry said the initiative aims to "block and slow" a possible invasion. About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression.

Western intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years, citing Russia's increasingly aggressive posture.

Lithuanian officials have prioritized the defense of the Suwalki Corridor, a strategic stretch connecting Lithuania to Poland, seen as vital for NATO's eastern flank.

In January, Vilnius announced plans to raise its defense spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP annually from 2026 to 2030, citing the threat of Russian aggression in the region.

On March 18, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland declared their intent to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty banning anti-personnel mines.

Moscow has reacted sharply to these moves. Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin warned on April 15 that Poland and the Baltic states would be the "first to suffer" in a direct NATO-Russia conflict.

As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko