Lukashenko stated that he had instructed the Government “to meet and talk” to Lithuanian representatives, whereas he would decide on the release of trucks, which could begin on 23 March.
On 17 March, representatives of the Belarusian Government headed by Prime Minister Alexander Turchin, on instructions from Lukashenko, met with representatives of Lithuanian and Polish road carriers, whose goods vehicles are withheld in Belarus.
According to the National Road Carriers’ Association Linava, approximately 1,071 vehicles have been detained in Belarus, which belong to at least 149 Lithuanian companies. The vehicles had to be parked and the companies had to pay a daily fee of EUR 120 per truck.
As reported, Lithuania closed Medininkai and Šalčininkai border checkpoints with Belarus at the end of October 2025 due to airspace violations by contraband balloons. Balloons smuggling cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania had disrupted air traffic at Vilnius Airport multiple times. Belarus responded by detaining Lithuanian trucks.
Seeking for the release of trucks, the Lithuanian Government re-opened border checkpoints arguing that fewer contraband balloons were flying, however, the Minsk regime still did not allow the vehicles to leave.
Linava has appealed to the European Commission noting that members of the organisation have suffered damages of up to EUR 22 million due to Belarusian actions. The European Commission confirmed that the property of Lithuanian carriers was unjustifiably detained in Belarus.