National Alliance proposes to close border with Russia and Belarus

RIGA - The National Alliance (NA) is calling for the closure of Latvia's borders with Russia and Belarus following the downing of Russian drones in Polish airspace.

The NA told LETA that the party has submitted a bill to the Saeima, which calls for "immediate closure of Latvia's border with Russia and Belarus in response to the Russian military provocation - Shahed combat drones launched on Polish territory, as well as in connection with the upcoming Zapad 2025 military exercises in Russia and Belarus".

The party is convinced that these were not "stray" drones without malicious intent, but a provocation, with Moscow testing NATO's response and intimidating Ukraine's allies.

In the party's view, the West has so far failed to draw clear red lines and the Kremlin is testing how far it can go. This situation must not be repeated on Latvia's borders, says the NA.

"Poland has assessed the incident as an "unprecedented violation of airspace" and has already decided to close its border with Belarus during the Zapad exercise, which will take place from September 12 to 16. Latvia should act with the same decisiveness," said the NA, which believes that Latvia's border with the aggressor countries should be closed, if not permanently, at least for the duration of the military exercises.

The NA reminds that it was under the cover of the Zapad military exercises that Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The NA points out that, once again, 13,000 troops are officially reported to be taking part in maneuvers in western Russia and Belarus, but experts warn that the actual size of the force could be significantly larger.

Belarus, which has long since lost its sovereignty, is actively participating in the aggression against Ukraine, allowing its territory to be used for military attacks, which is why the border with that country should also be closed, the NA says.

As reported, neither the Minister of Defense nor the Minister of the Interior has provided any information that the upcoming Russia/Belarus military exercises Zapad would require the closure of Latvia's border with Belarus, Prime Minister Evika Silina said on Wednesday after a meeting with President Edgars Rinkevics.

The politician stressed that a state of emergency has been declared on Latvia's borders in connection with the Namejs national defense exercise. The Prime Minister also mentioned that a state of emergency was in force in border regions due to the influx of illegal migrants.

Silina said that if there were an offer to close the border, the government would assess the justification and also consider the timeframe for how long the border should potentially be closed.

"The Baltic States should definitely consult with one another, because this is not only Latvia's external border, but also the external border of the European Union. We should understand what is happening with transit cargo," the prime minister told members of the press.

She stressed that a decision should be prepared accordingly, but there is no such opinion in the government, nor have any of the responsible institutions reported a risk of danger.

LETA also reported, Poland has decided to close its border with Belarus during the Zapad military maneuvers. The closure order will come into force at midnight on Friday, September 12 and will also apply to rail traffic. The Zapad maneuvers will take place from September 12 to 16.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the exercises involving Russia and Belarus would include simulations targeting the Suwalki Corridor, an area in the Polish-Lithuanian border zone.