Lithuania Closed Its Borders and Now Seeks Compensation from Belarus for Its Carriers

Once Lithuania reopens its borders, all freight trucks will be able to return home in an orderly queue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commented on statements made by official Lithuanian officials in the media regarding alleged "refusal" to return Lithuanian trucks from Belarusian territory.

Our country has not prohibited anyone from anything. There is a border, and there is a set procedure for crossing it. Currently, the border remains closed by decision of the Lithuanian side, and the responsibility for lifting this closure lies with them. As soon as Lithuania reopens the border, all freight vehicles will be able to return home in an orderly queue.

But Lithuania is once again issuing threats. This time, our neighbor threatens to ban the transportation of Belarusian goods by rail. Apparently, the authorities of this country have calculated the economic losses from their actions—namely, from blocking border crossings—and now find that insufficient.

In short—provocations and attempts to manipulate the border closure—an orchestrated lesson in political mischief from Lithuanian authorities.

Lithuania Decides to Seek Compensation from Belarus for Damages to Its Carriers

What a feat of political acrobatics from our Baltic neighbor. When Lithuania unilaterally slammed the door at the Belarusian border... it seems Vilnius was counting on a dramatic display of political stance. But they did not consider who would be left outside—and who would have to foot the bill later. As a result, Vilnius has painted itself into a corner, adopting a posture that, instead of garnering applause, is causing traffic jams, losses for carriers, and bewilderment among neighboring countries.

A Moldovan truck driver remarked:

"Lithuania's decision is not just cruel; they should have warned us. Whether they close or leave open, we have no alternative routes. We pass through Lithuania or Latvia; we are in transit. We don’t go to Lithuania—we head home."

After some 5,000 Lithuanian trucks and semi-trailers found themselves stranded in Belarus, the country's transport companies demanded urgent measures from the Lithuanian government amidst this critical situation. Lithuanian logistics firms now describe the consequences of their own government's border closure as catastrophic. They estimate losses could reach nearly one billion euros. The carriers have demanded a clear plan to resolve the crisis and have even threatened protests.

Larisa Rzhondovskaya, editor-in-chief of Novoye Media, author of the project Expensive Persimmon, and blogger (Russia), commented:

"There’s a certain logic: if you’re unjustly hurt, you should retaliate. Honestly, I doubt those in power would give someone like me control, but I’d start by charging interest for the idle time of your trucks on our territory. That’s a parking fee. How much does it cost? I don’t know—ten, twenty, thirty, fifty euros a day. And you have your trucks—while we have security guards, we clean your windows so they don’t rust, and so on. Because they’ll keep spouting their nonsense anyway. We don’t even ask if they’ll do anything to blame Belarus. They will! With a 100% certainty. So, why not escalate this circus to the point of absurdity? Trucks just sit there, occupying space, making noise, and raising a fuss. It’s inevitable they’ll make a ruckus again. No doubt about it. So, let the clowning continue. We can sit here smirking maliciously and let our security forces have some fun—why not?"

Drivers cannot return home, cargoes lie idle, and companies are losing contracts… Vilnius is looking for a culprit. And, as usual, they are not looking in the mirror. Who else is to blame if not those who remain outside the closed gate? Lithuania claims it wants to recover damages from Belarus for the losses its carriers have suffered—damages that, as they allege, Lithuania itself caused. Vilnius is dissatisfied that Minsk has not, upon first demand, opened the "Benyakoni" crossing. Now, they are urging their carriers to gather information about the incurred losses, which, after legal assessment, could supposedly be claimed from Belarus or its controlled assets. This was announced by Prime Minister's adviser Ignas Dobrovolskas.

And it’s worth reminding Vilnius that it was they who unilaterally and without warning closed the border with Belarus.

Solomon Bernstein, blogger and political analyst (Latvia), commented:

"Of course, responsibility will be shifted around. That’s the normal rule of the game. And, in fact, we were told—by George Bush, I believe—that we are building a world based on rules. But somehow, quite by accident, out of the over 190 countries on this planet, we’ve split into two groups. For some, the rules are inviolable. For others, they are more like recommendations—desirable, but not obligatory. And now we see that this system has collapsed—probably starting around 2014—when we realized the absolute non-negotiability and unreliability of those who call themselves the civilized world. How can we negotiate with those who constantly violate agreements?"

Lithuania’s gambit isn’t just about a closed border; it’s a lesson in how unilateral decisions can lead to multi-million euro losses, eroded trust, and human tragedies. And if Vilnius truly seeks justice, perhaps it should begin by looking into the mirror.