Defence Ministers of the Baltic States condemn Belarus' hybrid attack which threatens European security

The Defence Ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania see the security crisis unfolding on the Polish-Belarusian and Lithuanian-Belarusian border as very alarming, and unequivocally condemn the deliberate escalation of the ongoing hybrid attack by the Belarusian regime, which is posing serious threats to European security.

Large groups of people are being gathered and transported to the border area, where they are then forced to illegally cross the border. This increases the possibility of provocations and serious incidents that could also spill over into military domain.

Furthermore, the recent unusual Russian military build-up near Ukraine is worrying and might carry additional security risks. We see the current situation as the most complex security crisis for our region, NATO and the European Union in many years.

The evolving crisis calls for continuous unity among NATO Allies and EU Member States, shared situational awareness and joint approach to ensure that the deliberate attempts of Belarus and Russia to destabilize the security situation in Europe would fail. We particularly call for increased practical support from the EU in strengthening the security of its external borders.

We must fully support our neighbours and ensure that no move by Belarus or Russia gets overlooked.

We stand ready to support Poland also on bilateral basis.

Media contacts:
Media Relations Section
Military Public Affairs Department
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv
Website: www.mod.gov.lv