Kaunas says Kaliningrad border is calmer than Poland’s

Lithuania’s border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region is currently calmer than the situation in Poland, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said, according to LRT.

Speaking to Žinių radijas on Friday, Kaunas said military support for border guards, deployed since early October, was a preventive measure based on intelligence indications. Soldiers have assisted the State Border Guard Service on the border with Kaliningrad since October 8. Kaunas extended the support in mid-October until mid-November, and said another extension was likely, subject to the latest intelligence.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this week that his country had prevented a possible provocation on its border with Kaliningrad. He said he was informed shortly after midnight on Tuesday about suspicious activity along Poland’s northern border.

Kaunas said there had been more movement near the border on the Polish side than on Lithuania’s, prompting a stronger response from Poland. He said Lithuania was taking preventive measures because it needed to monitor what he called an aggressive neighbour.

In an interview with BNS, President Gitanas Nausėda declined to give details about possible threats of provocation on Lithuania’s border with Kaliningrad. He said disclosing intelligence information would benefit the intelligence services of hostile states.