BRUSSELS — The European Union warned Belarus to put a stop to a wave of balloons entering its airspace, though stopped short of blaming the country’s authoritarian government after objections from Hungary.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on behalf of all 27 member countries, the EU said it “strongly condemns Belarus’ persistent and provocative actions” after the airborne objects forced Lithuania to close its airports and shut its border with the neighboring nation this week.
Dozens of balloons carrying illegally transported cigarettes sparked fears for civil aviation and drew rebuke from Vilnius, which described the incursions as a “hybrid war” tactic against the West.
“These balloons are not merely smuggling tools, but occur in the context of a broader targeted hybrid campaign, along with other actions that also include state-sponsored migrant smuggling,” the message reads.
“Sanctions on the Belarusian regime have been imposed, and the EU is prepared to take further appropriate measures should such actions continue.”
The final statement was watered down from an earlier draft, circulated on Tuesday morning and obtained by POLITICO, which declared that the regime of Belarus’ strongman leader, Alexander Lukashenko, “is complicit directly or through deliberate inaction.”
That assessment was removed to secure the support of Hungary — which has long resisted efforts to condemn Moscow and Minsk — diplomats and officials confirmed. Previous joint statements, including one condemning Russian strikes on Ukraine that damaged the EU’s representative in Kyiv, had to be issued without the support of Budapest.
“Overall the statement is strong,” one EU diplomat said, granted anonymity to talk about the closed-door drafting process. “There was a will to compromise and to agree today.”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told POLITICO in an interview earlier this week that the balloon incidents shine a light on the need for the EU to step up joint preparedness efforts and introduce new sanctions on Belarus.