{"id":168180,"date":"2025-12-15T11:13:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T08:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/168180\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lithuania-credits-us-envoy-with-helping-stop-minsks-hybrid-attacks","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/168180\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania credits US envoy with helping stop Minsk\u2019s hybrid attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n K\u0119stutis Budrys\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Pozirk)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

December 15, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys expressed his gratitude to John Coale, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, for his “efforts to pressure the Belarusian regime to end its hybrid attacks against NATO countries,\u201d he said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lithuania also welcomes the diplomatic efforts of the United States to secure the release of political prisoners held by the Belarusian regime,” the official added, noting that two Lithuanian nationals were among the recently liberated people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coale held talks with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in Minsk on December 12 and 13, which resulted in the release of 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition figures and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ale\u015b Bialacki. Most of them were taken to Ukraine, with Bialacki being the only Belarusian sent to Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania, Coale told Reuters<\/em> upon his return to Vilnius on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have been a source of tension between Lithuania and Belarus, prompting Vilnius to close the border from October 29 to November 20 and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport on several occasions. Last week, Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, in response to what it called \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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