Current:Home > MarketsLithuania closes 2 checkpoints with Belarus over Wagner Group border concerns-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Lithuania closes 2 checkpoints with Belarus over Wagner Group border concerns
View Date:2024-12-23 20:05:57
Lithuania on Wednesday decided to temporarily close two of its six checkpoints with Belarus later this week amid growing tensions with its eastern neighbor, an ally of Russia.
The Lithuanian government has said that the crossings at Tverecius and Sumskas will be closed, and traffic will be diverted to the Medininkai border checkpoint, which is the largest of Lithuania's six checkpoints.
The decision came as Lithuanians grow increasingly worried about the presence of Russia-linked Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus.
- What is the Wagner Group, and who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? What to know about the Russian private military company
"The main goal is to temporarily suspend operations at these two points from Aug. 18," Deputy Minister of Transport Agnė Vaiciukeviciūte said, adding that the move offered the possibility of directing officers performing border control checks to other points.
Lithuania, a Baltic nation that declared its independence from the Soviet Union 33 years ago, is a democracy that belongs to NATO and the European Union. It has been a strong backer of Ukraine and a place of refuge in recent years for many who have fled an authoritarian crackdown in neighboring Belarus and increased repression in Russia.
Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, said that there could be up to 4,500 of Wagner fighters in Belarus, with some of them stationed close to the Lithuanian and Polish borders.
In neighboring Latvia, the State Border Guard Service said Tuesday it was mobilizing additional border guards to strengthen the protection of the external state border, the LETA news agency said.
This decision was taken due to the sharp increase in the hybrid threat at the Latvian-Belarusian border over the past days, when 96 attempts by people to cross the state border were detected, as well as the increased involvement of the Belarusian authorities in organizing the flow of illegal immigrants.
Latvian authorities consider attempts by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's regime to push migrants across borders to be methods of hybrid warfare targeting these countries.
LETA said that the annual leave of State Border Guard officers had been suspended. The State Border Guard has also requested additional support from the National Armed Forces and the State Police.
Lithuania has also seen migrants coming from Belarus. A total of 11,211 people have been denied entry to Lithuania from Belarus since January 2022, according to the State Border Service. And some 1,543 have not been allowed to enter this year so far.
Countries bordering Belarus have increased border security since thousands of Wagner fighters arrived in Russian-allied Belarus under a deal that ended their armed rebellion in late June and allowed them and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to avoid criminal charges.
In recent days, Poland, which sits south of Lithuania, has been deploying thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, calling it a deterrent move as tensions between the two neighbors ratchet up.
- In:
- Wagner Group
- Belarus
- yevgeny prigozhin
- Lithuania
- Ukraine
- Russia
veryGood! (2627)
Related
- DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
- Drew Barrymore cries after Dermot Mulroney surprises her for 'Bad Girls' reunion
- Where do things stand with the sexual assault case involving 2018 Canada world junior players?
- Dancer Órla Baxendale Dead at 25 After Eating Mislabeled Cookie
- Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
- Rights group reports more arrests as Belarus intensifies crackdown on dissent
- Fashion resale gives brands sustainability and revenue boost. Consumers win, too.
- New Jersey weighs ending out-of-pocket costs for women who seek abortions
- Jared Goff stats: Lions QB throws career-high 5 INTs in SNF win over Texans
- A Pennsylvania law shields teacher misconduct complaints. A judge ruled that’s unconstitutional
Ranking
- Cruise ship rescues 4 from disabled catamaran hundreds of miles off Bermuda, officials say
- Formula One driver Charles Leclerc inks contract extension with Scuderia Ferrari
- New home sales jumped in 2023. Why that's a good sign for buyers (and sellers) in 2024.
- Lions vs. 49ers NFC championship game weather forecast: Clear skies and warm temperatures
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Shares Reaction to BFF Teddi Mellencamp's Divorce
- New Jersey's plastic consumption triples after plastic bag ban enacted, study shows
- Lions vs. 49ers NFC championship game weather forecast: Clear skies and warm temperatures
- Pawn Stars Host Rick Harrison’s Son Adam’s Cause of Death Revealed
Recommendation
-
Sister Wives’ Meri Brown Shares Hysterical Farmers Only Dating Profile Video After Kody Split
-
Prosecutor tells jury that mother of Michigan school shooter is at fault for 4 student deaths
-
Robert De Niro says fatherhood 'feels great' at 80, gets emotional over his baby daughter
-
Where do things stand with the sexual assault case involving 2018 Canada world junior players?
-
Cruise ship rescues 4 from disabled catamaran hundreds of miles off Bermuda, officials say
-
Raheem Morris hired as head coach by Atlanta Falcons, who pass on Bill Belichick
-
Trump accuses DA Fani Willis of inappropriately injecting race into Georgia election case
-
Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania challenge state, federal actions to boost voter registration