Skip to content
Edit post

Poland, Baltic states threaten to close borders with Belarus

by Abbey Fenbert August 29, 2023 5:50 AM 2 min read
Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski at a meeting with representatives from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in Warsaw on Aug. 28. (Photo via Polish Internal Affairs Ministry)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Poland and the Baltic nations of Latvia and Lithuania have promised to shut down their borders with Belarus if a "critical situation" occurs, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said at a summit in Warsaw on Aug. 28.

"We are determined on joint action if a critical situation arises," Kaminski said. "Regardless of whether it is on the Polish, Lithuanian, or Latvian borders, we will apply immediate retaliation. All border crossings that are open so far, both passenger and cargo, will be closed."

The interior ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia met in Warsaw on Aug. 28 to discuss regional security issues.

At the beginning of August, Polish officials warned that full closure of the Belarusian border was possible in light of increased Wagner mercenary activity in the area.

On Aug. 27, a Russian investigation confirmed the death of Wagner commander Yvgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash. Despite reports that Wagner soldiers were leaving Belarus in large numbers following the crash, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Wagner would continue to maintain a strong presence in the country.

"We demanded of the Lukashenko regime that the Wagner Group immediately leave the territory of Belarus," Kaminski said.

He also said that the strategies discussed at the Aug. 28 meeting would "also apply to the border with Russia."

Poland and Lithuania share a formal border with Russia due to Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Federation exclave disconnected from the mainland.

Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko says Russian invasion of Ukraine through Belarus was ‘unexpected’
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko admits that Russian forces invaded Ukraine from Belarus at the start of the full-scale war in 2022 and reiterates his support for Russia. Despite this avowal, Lukashenko claims he supports neighboring states’ territorial integrity during a meeting with China…

News Feed

8:02 PM  (Updated: )

Ukrainian drones strike missile, drone arsenal in Russia's Bryansk Oblast.

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) struck on June 28 the 1060th Material-Technical Support Center in the city of Bryansk, Ukraine's General Staff said. The facilities store a Russian missile and drone arsenal, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a source in HUR.
11:06 AM  (Updated: )

Poland's Duda arrives in Kyiv to meet with Zelensky.

"Andrzej has been with Ukraine since the first days of the war, always side by side, a reliable ally and a true friend. This is undoubtedly the level of relations we want to preserve and strengthen with Poland," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.