Nausėda: Wagner PMCs moved to the Lithuanian border

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has announced the presence of Wagner mercenaries near the Lithuanian border in the Grodno region of Belarus.

He said this after a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki near the Suwalki corridor on August 3, LRT reports.

According to Nauseda, there are currently about four thousand Russian mercenaries in Belarus.

"Some of the Wagner fighters are close to our border, having taken up positions in the Hrodna region, which means that this location is very convenient for provocations on both the Polish-Belarusian and Lithuanian-Belarusian borders," he emphasized.

Nausėda added that measures have already been taken in this regard, the Lithuanian border security has been strengthened, and plans for covering the border, including reinforcements from the army, have been prepared and updated.

Lithuania is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to counter all threats to its security, including the Wagner threat.

"We may have different views on the intentions of Wagner's militants in Belarus, but one thing is absolutely clear: it would be too tempting for both Putin and Lukashenko not to take advantage of the presence of Wagner's militants in their immediate neighborhood for possible provocations against NATO countries," the Lithuanian president emphasized.

Nausėda added that closing the border with Belarus is among the possible steps, but this action should be coordinated between Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Author - Olena Madiak, 03/08/2023