Poland lifts border closure with Belarus imposed during Russian-Belarusian drills
Poland will reopen all border crossings with Belarus at midnight on Sept. 24, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced at the start of a government meeting, Polsat News reported on Sept. 23.
The decision comes nearly two weeks after Warsaw shut road and rail crossings on Sept. 12, ahead of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2025. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski confirmed that he had signed the regulation restoring border traffic.
"Taking into account also the economic interests of Polish carriers as well as PKP Cargo (Poland's largest rail freight operator), we decided that this preventive measure fulfilled its task," Tusk said, adding that the move was "the most sensible" course of action for the government.
The prime minister said Poland held simultaneous military drills during Zapad-2025, which he described as successful. "The situation is not joyful, but I think we have reason to be satisfied, how the effectiveness, scope and nature of the exercises carried out in Poland are evaluated," Tusk said.
Tusk emphasized that the option to close the crossings again remains on the table. "If the tension or aggressive behavior of our neighbors increases, we will not hesitate and we will again decide to close the crossings," he said.
Poland closed the border overnight on Sept. 12, suspending traffic in both directions, including freight trains, citing security risks linked to the Zapad drills. The maneuvers, staged every four years, began on Sept. 12 in Belarus and western Russia and have raised concerns among NATO's eastern members.
Warsaw has deployed 40,000 troops along its borders with Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave during the exercises.
Polish officials have also pointed to the Sept. 10 Russian drone incursion, when 19 drones crossed into Polish airspace, as evidence of growing threats. Poland's Air Force shot down several of the drones, marking the first time it had taken such action since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
