Lithuania Responds to Belarusian Threats to "Punch a Corridor" to the Baltic

Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament and the European Parliament's Rapporteur on Belarus, Petras Auštrevičius, has stated that threats directed at Vilnius by Belarus' Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Pavel Muraveiko, are indicative that sanctions are taking effect.

This information is reported by the news agency "Pozirk."

"Pavel Muravieko's threats to 'punch a corridor' for Belarusian goods to transit through Lithuania show that the restrictions imposed against Minsk have an impact on Belarus' economic and financial results. This is a good thing," stated Auštrevičius.

However, he also emphasized that, "Minsk itself may not pose a military threat or risk. But it does dance to Moscow's tune, and this means that all threats must be analyzed, and decisions must be made."

"In Lithuania, we are doing everything possible to strengthen our defence capabilities. The important thing is that we have a full partnership with our allies in NATO and the European Union, and this is only the beginning. Therefore, trying to raise the ante and pose a threat to the West, of which Lithuania is a part, is very risky, even for Alexander Grigorievich and his generals," he added.

According to Auštrevičius, such statements indicate that there are hawks both in Minsk and Moscow who are trying to provoke, set a high tone, and create tension.

"However, they should be aware that we are ready to respond. And this response will not come from Vilnius or Riga; it will come from Brussels and Washington. Therefore, one should think twice before even considering crossing the border," Auštrevičius stressed.

Belarus' Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Pavel Muraveiko, believes that Minsk has "all the grounds" to engage in aggression against Lithuania to secure the transit of Belarusian goods.

"Lithuania has essentially banned us from moving our goods across the border. According to all norms of international law, this step is considered economic aggression. Under different circumstances, no one in the world would condemn such actions. However, attempting to 'punch a corridor' in today's climate is probably too risky due to unprecedented Western pressure," explained Muraveiko.

As reported by The Gaze, the European Parliament recognized Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as an accomplice in Russia's war against Ukraine, putting him on par with Vladimir Putin.