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The European Union is preparing new sanctions against the government of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, which it accuses of a "hybrid" campaign against neighboring Lithuania, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.
Lithuania closed its border with Belarus in October after dozens of balloons loaded with illegal cigarettes entered its airspace, forcing several airports to close and fueling tensions between the two countries.
"The situation on the border with Belarus is deteriorating, with the increasing frequency of smuggling balloons entering Lithuanian airspace," the European Commission president wrote on Twitter after talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
"Such a hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime is completely unacceptable. Lithuania continues to have our full support," von der Leyen said, adding that "we are preparing further measures within our sanctions regime."
The border closure in October left thousands of Lithuanian trucks stranded in Belarus. Some are still stuck there, and Vilnius has accused Minsk of "blackmail" over millions of euros worth of leftover goods.
Meanwhile, the EU's diplomatic service said it summoned Belarus' envoy for a meeting on Monday over "hybrid actions emanating from Belarusian territory that pose a threat to the EU," including the "unacceptable issue" of blocked trucks.
The EU has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Minsk since 2020 - including on Lukashenko and his family - for brutal repression of opponents and support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed Moscow to use his country to launch an invasion of Ukraine in 2022./ REL
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