The Latest Breaking News from Aliaksandr Lukashenka

Vilnius decided to reopen the crossings at Medininkai and Šalčininkai on Thursday, but moved the decision forward by a day.

Lithuania closed the two border crossings with Belarus on 29 October after meteorological balloons flying from Belarus caused repeated disruption to air traffic.

The 52 prisoners freed last Thursday in a US-brokered deal with Belarus were sent to Vilnius, Lithuania. Among those freed was Mikalai Statkevich, a prominent opposition leader who refused to leave Belarus and is now missing.

Poland closed all border crossings with Belarus as the joint Russia-Belarus military exercises Zapad-2025 begin at NATO’s doorstep. Moscow and Minks claim the drills simulate repelling an attack against Russia and Belarus. But Zapad-2021 masked Russia’s preparations for its invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus released 52 prisoners, including 14 foreigners, who crossed into Lithuania. Lithuanian President Nausėda thanked Trump for his support.

The Czech intelligence agency said Belarus managed to create the network because its diplomats are able to freely travel across European countries.

Lukashenka, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for Moscow’ full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and later allowed the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles.

Russia first used the Oreshnik against Ukraine in November, when it fired the experimental weapon at a factory in Dnipro that built missiles when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

The Belarus president pardoned several prisoners on Saturday during the visit of US special envoy Keith Kellogg in a move to ease tensions with the West.