Lithuania's defence minister: Kaliningrad border calmer than Poland's

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Friday that the situation along Lithuania's border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave is currently calmer than on the Polish side, where authorities say they have thwarted a potential provocation. The remarks matter because Lithuania has been using military personnel to reinforce border security for several weeks.

Speaking on the radio station Žinių radijas, Kaunas described the deployment of soldiers to assist border guards as a preventive measure, prompted by intelligence pointing to possible threats. Lithuanian troops have been helping the State Border Guard Service on the Kaliningrad border since 8 October. In mid-October the minister extended the deployment until mid-November. He said a further extension was likely, though the decision would depend on the latest intelligence assessments.

"Currently, the situation on the border with Kaliningrad is certainly calmer than it was in Poland, let's say, and we are reacting accordingly," he said.

Poland's experience

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this week that his country had thwarted a potential provocation along its border with Kaliningrad. On Tuesday he said he had been informed shortly after midnight about suspicious activity along Poland's northern border.

Kaunas said there had been more movement near the border on the Polish side than on the Lithuanian side, which led Warsaw to take stronger measures. "We have an aggressive neighbour and it needs to be closely monitored, so we are reacting preventively at all times," the minister said.

President's position

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda declined to comment in detail on potential provocations along the Kaliningrad border. He said that publicly disclosing intelligence information would benefit "hostile intelligence services".