AdvertisementEuropean UnionWorldEuropeBelarus agrees to stop balloon flights into Lithuania amid hybrid attack fears
The incidents have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months, prompting Lithuania to declare a state of emergency
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US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale said on Saturday that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania.
“He agreed recently to do everything he could to stop the balloons,” Coale told Reuters in Vilnius, after two days of talks with Lukashenko.
The balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months.
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Lithuania has accused Belarus of conducting a “hybrid attack” by facilitating the activity, and has declared a state of emergency over the issue, asking parliament to authorise military support for police and border guards to deal with the smugglers.
Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Lithuania was exaggerating the problem.
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