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Poland has closed its borders ahead of the "Zapad-2025" military exercises to be held in Belarus, at a time when tensions between Minsk and Warsaw are rising sharply.
The "Zapad-2025" military exercises, which will be held in western Russia and Belarus, have raised security concerns in neighboring NATO member countries such as Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that this measure has taken effect immediately, as this will be a very aggressive military operation.
"On Friday, Russian-Belarusian exercises begin in Belarus, very close to the Polish borders, a very aggressive operation from the point of view of military doctrine. Therefore, for reasons of national security, we will close the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, in connection with the Zapad exercises, from midnight on Thursday ," Tusk said during a government meeting.
Relations between Poland and Belarus have been significantly strained, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, where Russia is Minsk's main ally.
On Thursday, Belarusian media reported that a Polish citizen has been arrested in Belarus on suspicion of espionage after documents related to the Zapad exercises were found in his possession.
The Zapad 2025 exercises include, among other things, readiness exercises for the use of nuclear weapons and Russian supersonic Oreshnik-type missiles, according to the Belarusian Defense Minister.
At the same time, NATO will organize exercises near its borders.
Also, Lithuanian border guards have announced that they will strengthen the protection of their borders with Belarus and Russia due to these exercises.
The Belarusian and Russian embassies in Warsaw have not yet responded to requests for comment.
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