Berlin [Germany], October 31 : Germany has expressed strong support for Lithuania after a series of balloon incursions from Belarus disrupted air traffic across the Baltic country, calling the incidents "unacceptable and dangerous."
"We stand in full solidarity with Lithuania. Balloon incursions into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus that disrupt civilian air travel are unacceptable and dangerous. We stand united in fighting hybrid threats to our security in Europe," the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday in an X post.
https://x.com/GermanyDiplo/status/1984229844700553289?s=08
In response to the repeated airspace violations, Lithuania's National Security Adviser Kestutis Budrys urged the European Union to impose harsher sanctions on Minsk's banking and aviation sectors, accusing Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka's regime of engaging in "cross-border crime, " Euro News reported.
"We want to see not only solidarity, but we want the EU's sanctions regime to be strengthened against Belarus," Budrys told Euronews, stressing that Brussels must act decisively to "rein in Lukashenka's provocations."
Budrys' remarks came just hours after Lithuania temporarily closed its 680-km border with Belarus and ordered its military to shoot down any intruding objects.
Over the past week, a series of balloon incursions reportedly led to the temporary shutdown of Lithuanian airports, disrupting at least 175 flights and affecting more than 27,000 passengers, according to Euronews.
"The Belarusian regime has to feel the consequences of the activities that they do. Otherwise, tomorrow they will take something else and weaponise it," Budrys said. "If we cannot deter, then we are moving through a spiral of escalation."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced "full solidarity" with Lithuania but stopped short of announcing new measures against Minsk on Wednesday.
Belarus, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, already faces extensive EU sanctions over its role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Belarus Sanctions Package.
The balloon incidents come amid a spike in drone activity and airspace violations across Eastern and Central Europe, including Denmark, Belgium, and Germany.
Last week, Lithuania also reported a brief incursion by two Russian military aircraft, as per Euronews.