BREAKING NEWS

Lithuania does not pose threat to Belarus, defense minister says

NATO member Lithuania said on Sunday it does not pose a military threat to its neighbor Belarus after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko accused NATO of massing on his country's western border.

"The Belarus crisis is a political one, and any allegations by the Belarus leadership about foreign countries' interference or about threats they pose are an attempt to shift blame and justify its own actions," Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said in a statement to Reuters.

All international military training in Lithuania is held according to a long-term schedule, he said.

Lithuania hosted military maneuvers on Aug. 2-14, which included 1,100 of its own troops and 200 US soldiers and 10 US military helicopters arriving from Poland, a Lithuanian army spokesman said.

No more maneuvers are scheduled for this month, he added.

Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Lukashenko's statement about a military buildup "is a lie" and is meant to create an excuse to call for help from Russia.

The Russian interference would "completely ruin country’s independence. Lamentable," he tweeted.