Latvia to reopen its border with Belarus after Minsk threatens asymmetric response

August 4, Pozirk. Latvia will reopen its border with Belarus instead of keeping it closed for a long period of time, LSM reported on August 4.

On August 1, Latvia suspended the operation of its last operating checkpoint at the border with Belarus, citing “technical reasons” linked to a computer system failure.

The Latvian government plans to solve those technical problems on August 4, LSM said.

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs reportedly expressed opposition to closing the border because of irregular migration from Belarus. Kulbergs stressed that migrants try to enter Latvia through the border fence and not the Patarnieki-Hryharoŭščyna crossing.

According to LSM, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expects his government to take efficient measures to alleviate border tensions and prevent “hybrid attacks” from Belarus and will support any steps in this direction.

On Monday, LSM reported that Latvia’s interior ministry suggests closing the country’s Paternieki border checkpoint to individuals and trucks indefinitely, arguing that irregular migration from Belarus constitutes a threat to national security.

The ministry submitted the proposal to Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers.

The ministry insisted that the proposed measure is needed “to guarantee the inviolability of the state, prevent threats to public order, create even more favorable conditions for the State Border Guard and other involved agencies to prevent illegal border crossings and optimize the resources available to the border control agency amid the crisis.”

The ministry accused Belarus of allowing and encouraging undocumented third-country nationals to cross into Latvian territory, creating a security threat for Latvia and putting a strain on its resources.

Minsk dismissed Latvia’s official explanation for border closure as “blatantly unconvincing” and threatened that Belarus may respond with “retaliatory” and “asymmetric” measures.

The warning appeared to refer to the similar closure of the Belarusian-Lithuanian border in November 2025, to which Minsk retaliated by prohibiting more than 1,000 Lithuanian trucks from leaving Belarus. The trucks were held for more than four months, with authorities charging exorbitant parking fees.

Latvia has seen an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus this year, registering 2,275 crossing attempts in July and 9,060 since January.

Politics Security

Politics, Security

Latvian ministry suggests closing border with Belarus over irregular migration

August 3, Pozirk. Latvia’s interior ministry suggests closing its Patarnieki checkpoint to individuals and trucks, arguing that irregular migration from Belarus constitutes a threat to national security, LSM reported on Monday. The ministry has submitted the proposal to the Cabinet of Ministers, …

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