Lithuania would struggle to send 100 border guards to Latvia, says VSAT chief

The head of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Rustamas Liubajevas, has said it would be difficult for the agency to deploy 100 officers to Latvia, as requested by Riga, LRT reports.

“It would be quite challenging for us to allocate that many officers,” Liubajevas told ELTA. “Moreover, I think Latvia may not actually need such a large number, as other countries—Finland and Estonia—are also sending their personnel to assist.”

Lithuania has already sent 20 border guards with service dogs to Latvia to help counter irregular migration more effectively. Liubajevas described this as an “optimal number for now,” adding that further deployments could be discussed if resources allow.

VSAT is assessing the situation and dispatching officers from the most stable sections of Lithuania’s border, Liubajevas said. If conditions change, the deployed personnel could be recalled to prioritise Lithuania’s own border security with Russia and Belarus.

“Of course, we cannot afford to weaken our own border protection,” he said. “We are looking for ways to possibly delegate more officers from the border sections where the situation is currently more stable, where we can spare some personnel. But in any case, this has been agreed with our Latvian colleagues—if the situation in Lithuania becomes difficult, our officers will be immediately recalled to continue serving on Lithuania’s border with the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus.”

Liubajevas noted that strengthening Latvia’s border also benefits Lithuania by reducing secondary migration flows. While Lithuania has faced challenges with migrants transiting from Latvia to Poland and Western Europe, he said recent data shows a decline in such movements.

Latvia’s request for 100 officers came during a recent visit by Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava, who told LRT Television that Riga hoped for greater Lithuanian involvement in securing the EU’s external border against irregular migration. However, Lithuania’s Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas stated that such a deployment was not feasible.

Latvia shares a 172-kilometre border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia. Regional countries have accused Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately directing migrants to the EU’s external border to exert pressure on the bloc. In response, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have reinforced border security and constructed border fences.