Belarus Says Nearly 5,000 Lithuanian Trucks Stranded After Lithuania Closes Road Border

Overview

• Belarus’s State Customs Committee reported almost 5,000 Lithuanian trucks stuck in the country, saying they can depart only once Lithuania reopens crossings, with the closure reported as extended to 01:00 on December 1.
• Belarus’s prime minister signed a decree limiting the movement of Lithuanian-registered trucks on the bilateral border, calling the step a forced response to unilateral Lithuanian actions.
• Transport has shifted to the Belarus–Poland and Belarus–Latvia routes, producing long queues, prolonged idle times, and financial losses for carriers, according to Belarusian officials.
• Lithuania later allowed specified categories of people to cross at one checkpoint, though the broader suspension remains in place.
• President Alexander Lukashenko said Lithuanians operated the meteozonds and argued Belarusians who sold cigarettes acted legally, describing onward sales to the Netherlands and England.