US says Belarus agreed to stop balloon flyovers into Lithuania

By Andrius Sytas

VILNIUS, Dec 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale said on Saturday that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania.

“He agreed recently to do everything he could to stop the balloons,” Coale told Reuters in Vilnius, after two days of talks with Lukashenko.

The balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months.

Lithuania has accused Belarus of conducting a “hybrid attack” by facilitating the activity, and has declared a state of emergency over the issue, asking parliament to authorise military support for police and border guards to deal with the smugglers.

Lukashenko said on Tuesday that Lithuania was exaggerating the problem.

“I believe that the president of Belarus is sincerely trying to calm it down. I think it will take some time, but I think it can be resolved. He wants normal relationship with his neighbours – so he assures me”, said Coale.

“I know Lithuania has done everything they can to stop the receivers of the cigarettes or whatever the hell that is. So I think both sides are working”, he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on December 1 that the situation at the border was worsening, and called the balloon incursions a “hybrid attack” by Belarus that was “completely unacceptable”.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius. Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Mark Potter)