Ankara: Lithuania announced on Tuesday that it might suspend the transit of Russian goods and passengers to the Kaliningrad exclave if necessary to ensure national security, following the closure of its border with Belarus.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys stated on LRT Radio that Vilnius “retains the possibility to close transit if it is needed to ensure our security.” He emphasized that any decision to halt transit would be coordinated with EU institutions and member states.

The announcement comes after Lithuania shut its border with Belarus on Monday, citing a series of “smuggling” incidents involving balloons that breached Lithuanian airspace last week, causing the temporary grounding of flights at Vilnius and Kaunas airports.

Budrys asserted, “No one can limit Lithuania’s national security measures or what we decide to do to prevent threats, protect our citizens, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” He added that the government is prepared to take “everything required to ensure security.”

Under an existing EU-Russia agreement, Russian cargo and passenger trains, as well as road traffic, are allowed to traverse Lithuanian territory to access Kaliningrad, Russia’s exclave on the Baltic Sea, situated between Lithuania and Poland.

The minister remarked on Monday that the new border restrictions would not impact Kaliningrad transit, although Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda had suggested reconsidering it over the weekend.