The European Union is preparing fresh sanctions against Belarus over what it describes as a “hybrid campaign” targeting neighboring Lithuania, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Monday.
In October, Lithuania closed its border with Belarus after dozens of balloons carrying illegal cigarettes entered its airspace, forcing the temporary closure of several airports and escalating tensions between the two countries.
“The situation at the Belarusian border is worsening, with repeated incursions of contraband-laden balloons into Lithuanian airspace,” von der Leyen said on X after discussions with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. She condemned the Belarusian regime’s hybrid attacks as “completely unacceptable” and affirmed that Lithuania continues to have the EU’s full support.
Von der Leyen added that further measures within the EU’s sanctions framework are being prepared.
The October border closure left thousands of Lithuanian trucks stranded in Belarus, with some still unable to return, prompting Vilnius to accuse Minsk of economic blackmail over millions of euros worth of goods.
Meanwhile, the EU diplomatic service summoned the Belarusian envoy to Brussels to address these hybrid threats emanating from Belarusian territory, including the unresolved issue of blocked trucks.
The EU has maintained sanctions against Minsk since 2020, targeting President Alexander Lukashenko, his family, and key officials for repression of opponents and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
