The threat of the Wagners, now on duty in Belarus, has prompted them to capture again drastic measures in neighboring countries. This time it was Lithuania, a member country of NATO and the European Union, that agreed to the decision this Wednesday, ctemporarily miss two border posts with the ally Russia starting this Friday, August 18th.
According to the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, the decision is aimed at this respond appropriately to changes in the geopolitical situation and security threats nationally and to prevent smuggling of goods.
“This decision is a preventive measure aimed at containing threats to national security and possible provocations at the border,” Lithuania’s Interior Minister said. Agne Bilotaitein statements collected by the EFE Agency.
It is worth remembering that there is one border crossing between Poland and Belarus, two on the Latvian border and six on the Lithuanian border.
Likewise the Lithuanian President Nauseda Gypsies made sure of that Lithuania, as well as neighboring countries Latvia and Poland, may have to close the border with Belarus when the security situation is extremely complicated by the arrival of the Wagner mercenary group in Belarus. Still, the Lithuanian President insisted it was the last resort.
According to the Lithuanian Interior Minister, the Baltic countries and Poland are discussing the possibility of a complete closure of the borders with Belarus, the final details of which are expected to be agreed in Warsaw at the end of this month. The talks are about a “regional solution,” he said.
“I had a conversation with the Polish interior minister a week ago. We agreed that at the technical level we are currently working out the technical steps, the algorithms, what it would look like if this regional solution were adopted, if the Baltic States and … Poland did it at the same time,” explained Bilotaite, as reported by LRT .
“I want to assure you that we are working on it on a technical and political level: there is one The meeting is scheduled for August 28 in Warsawat which the ministers of the Baltic States and Poland will be present and we will put the finishing touches on what the so-called synchronous system should look like,” he said.
The EFE Agency reminds that information about the presence and activities of the Wagner Group in Belarus is contradictory, although this is assessed by the Lithuanian State Border Guard the number of Wagner mercenaries can be estimated at 4,500.
The announcement of the closure of two Lithuanian border crossings comes after the permits for Lithuanian border guards in Latvia were revoked and troops at the border with Belarus were reinforced after an increase in irregular border crossings was noticed.
After the failed mutiny at the end of June by the leader of the Wagners, Yevgeny Prigozhinthe russian president, Wladimir Putinand its Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, they agreed that the mercenaries would go into “exile” to Belarus. Since then, neighboring countries have increased protection and strengthened their borders.