Vilnius: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has criticized Poland's decision to introduce checks at its borders with Lithuania and Germany, calling it a "capitulation" to the challenges posed by irregular migration, public broadcaster LRT news reported. Speaking at a joint press conference in Vilnius with visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday, Nauseda said that while internal border checks within the Schengen area may reflect accumulated problems, such measures must remain temporary.

According to Anadolu Agency, Nauseda emphasized the temporary nature of such measures, stating, "We can all probably agree that internal controls in the Schengen area reflect accumulated problems that we believe cannot be solved by other means. However, such measures must undoubtedly be temporary and must achieve results as quickly as possible and be terminated." He highlighted that Warsaw's decision to introduce the checks starting Monday night underscores the difficulty of controlling the EU's external borders.

Nauseda further urged for a collective effort to manage the migration issue effectively, saying, "But we must strive to do that and we must abandon as soon as possible those measures that are not characteristic of the European Union and which (.) represent a temporary capitulation to the problem." Meanwhile, German President Steinmeier expressed Germany's commitment to cooperating with Poland to address the situation. "Germany introduced these controls when large numbers of migrants arrived in the country ... We are coordinating with Poland on how to resolve that situation. I hope that this will not lead to a long-term dispute between Germany and Poland," he stated.

Poland has justified the implementation of these checks as a necessary step to prevent irregular border crossings and combat human trafficking, particularly along routes from Belarus and Lithuania.