On Monday, the European Union expanded its sanctions against the regime in Belarus to cover activities deemed to threaten democracy, the rule of law, and the overall security of EU member states.
The expansion follows a series of incidents in which meteorological balloons originating from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace, repeatedly disrupting air traffic in recent months.
“The new criterion allows the EU to impose restrictive measures on those who plan, direct, support, or facilitate information manipulation and foreign interference,” the EU Council said in a statement.
“The EU may also target unauthorized entry into the territory of a member state,” the statement added.
Last week, Lithuania declared a state of emergency and requested parliamentary authorization to deploy military support to police and border guards after a wave of smuggling balloons from Belarus repeatedly disrupted air traffic.
Belarus has denied responsibility for the balloons and accused Lithuania of staging provocations.
