The Iron Curtain becomes reality: Poland seals border with Belarus

Poland shuts border with Belarus ahead of Russian-Belarusian military drills

Warsaw has fully closed all border crossings with Belarus, Polish authorities confirmed late Thursday. Border guards rolled out barbed wire, erected barricades, and halted both civilian and commercial traffic in what officials described as a security measure.

The move comes just hours before the launch of Zapad-2025, large-scale Russian-Belarusian military exercises expected to involve up to 30,000 troops, according to Lithuanian intelligence. Tensions have been further heightened by recent incidents of Russian drones crossing into Polish territory.

Moscow quickly condemned the decision. Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged Poland to “consider the consequences,” while Belarus declared that its own checkpoints remain open — a symbolic gesture, given that traffic is now blocked from the Polish side.

The border shutdown underscores growing instability along NATO’s eastern flank, as regional governments brace for what may be the most consequential round of drills since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine.