R. Žemaitaitis blames Lithuania for balloon crisis – K. Budrys retorts

 

“ELTA After the ruling coalition partner Remigijus Žemaitaitis stated that the smuggled balloons flowing into Lithuania are a consequence of unsuccessful foreign policy, the country's head of diplomacy Kęstutis Budrys rejects such criticism. According to the minister, there can be no talk of negotiations with Minsk, as this will in no way deter the regime of Alexander Lukashenko from further pressure on Lithuania.

 

“My advice is not to fall into these propaganda traps. We know what we are doing, and we understand the reasons why (Belarus – ELTA) is doing this to us. They want us to review our sanctions policy towards them, they want to continue doing the same (...) and want nothing to happen in return. And then someone appears who says – maybe we could actually agree on something, apologize. This is not the behavior of a dignified state. I am even ashamed to listen to such things,” K. Budrys told reporters in the Seimas on Wednesday, when asked about R. Žemaitaitis’s statements.

 

“I find it a bit disappointing that such ideas, such comments shape the public debate and that it is necessary to comment on this. For me, this is not about foreign policy, but about the mentality of a serf,” he emphasized.

 

As reported, R. Žemaitaitis told Žinių radijus that he believed that smuggled balloons were flowing into Lithuania from Belarus because Vilnius has no diplomatic channels and relations with Minsk.

 

“We have no foreign policy and we practically have no diplomatic relations with Belarus at a lower level with which we could talk, converse,” R. Žemaitaitis told Žinių radijus on Wednesday.

 

In turn, K. Budrys believes that the situation regarding balloons transporting contraband should be resolved not through negotiations, but through a policy of deterrence. "What is there to negotiate about? They are pressuring us. They are disrupting peaceful, normal life, causing us problems so that we would come and make concessions? What is all this about? Our people are being kidnapped, our citizens of the Republic of Lithuania are being kidnapped, thrown into prison in inhumane conditions because they want something. What can we negotiate about here and where will all this lead?" he asked rhetorically. "Deterrence must work. If you are unable to prevent these activities from taking place, you must respond so painfully that they do not happen again. We should have learned that in Lithuania over more than 30 years. And, it seems to me, we have learned," the politician emphasized.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs repeated that trying to negotiate and ask Minsk to stop hybrid actions against Lithuania is not the right way to solve security challenges. “We should not fall into propaganda traps and imagine that issues are resolved here, over the phone. And all such calls to do something, maybe some concession to the Belarusian side – I want that one day we would get rid of that serf mentality, straighten our backs, look our opponent in the eye with dignity, what is happening and do what needs to be done,” the member of the Government said. “That thinking that maybe they will stop beating me if I ask them not to beat me, if I lower my eyes to the ground and all this will end – it must end. We are a dignified state that is able to solve problems and we will solve this situation too,” K. Budrys summed up.

 

ELTA reminds that last week, due to smuggled balloons arriving from Belarus, air traffic at Vilnius Airport was temporarily suspended four times, and once at Kaunas Airport. Incidents of airport disruption and closure of the Medininkai and Šalčinkai border checkpoints were recorded on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

 

On Wednesday, the Government intends to make decisions on the closure of the last two border checkpoints with Belarus – Medininkai and Šalčinkai. Until then, the border with Belarus will remain closed. The decision was made by the National Security Commission at its meeting on Monday. It was also decided that the military will begin to apply appropriate kinetic measures to bring down balloons flying into the country. In turn, the police and border guards will cooperate more actively in order to curb smugglers."

 

Poles are urgently opening border crossings with Belarus to profit from our dignified stupidity. For the losses to Lithuania, for the untold dignified stupidity, they should be punished with life imprisonment.