Poland Closes Belarus Border Amid Rising 'Zapad-2025' Tensions

Poland will close its border with Belarus due to Russia-led military exercises called 'Zapad-2025.' The drills have raised security concerns in neighboring NATO states. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the closure's importance for national security, with reopening dependent on threat assessment.

Poland has announced it will close its border with Belarus at midnight on Thursday in response to military exercises led by Russia in Belarus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk conveyed on Tuesday. This decision comes amid increasing tensions between Minsk and Warsaw.

The 'Zapad' drills, large-scale military exercises conducted by Russia and Belarus, have raised alarm in neighboring NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. The maneuvers known as 'Zapad-2025' are slated to occur near the Polish border, bringing heightened security concerns. Tusk stressed the necessity of closing the border indefinitely, including railway crossings, to safeguard national security.

Poland's move follows the arrest of a Belarusian spy in Poland and the planned expulsion of a Belarusian diplomat. Lithuania plans to bolster its border security in response as well. The Zapad-2025 exercises, reported to involve potential nuclear drills, add to the lingering tensions since Belarus' ally Russia invaded Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)