Lithuania demands an end to hybrid attacks and an immediate return to Lithuania of illegally detained Lithuanian trucks

On 3 December, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus and handed him a note of protest over the ongoing hybrid attack against Lithuania from the territory of Belarus, which disrupts operations at Vilnius International Airport and poses a threat to civil aviation security, as well as over the continued intentional seizure and non-release into the territory of Lithuania of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers registered in the European Union or owned by EU natural or legal persons.

The representative of the Embassy of Belarus was demanded that Belarus comply with its international obligations and immediately take all measures to ensure the control of its airspace and state border in order to prevent such violations and take concrete and effective actions to curb international crimes committed by organized criminal groups.

The Belarusian side was also warned that if it fails to take action to stop economic blackmail and return illegally seized assets to EU citizens and companies, Lithuania will soon appeal to relevant international organisations, to inform them about the risks and threats involved in international freight transport operations in Belarus and via Belarus. The Belarusian representative was also informed that due to these gross violations of international law, Lithuania reserves the right to take appropriate legal action, demand state responsibility from Belarus, seek compensation for the damage, and take other countermeasures, whether at the national, EU, or international level.