New road linking Baltic states to Poland opens at time of tensions with Russia

Published on 20/10/2025 - 17:14 GMT+2

A awesome roadworthy connecting nan 3 Baltic states to Poland opened connected Monday astatine a clip of rising tensions betwixt Europe and Russia.

The road, known arsenic Via Baltica, will walk done a constrictive portion of onshore betwixt Belarus and nan Russian exclave of Kaliningrad called nan Suwalki Gap which has often been described arsenic a imaginable target if Russia were to onslaught NATO.

At an inauguration ceremonial connected nan separator betwixt their countries connected Monday, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said nan roadworthy was nan region's astir important corridor and highlighted its domiciled successful nan region's defence.

NATO troops could perchance move faster successful assistance of nan Baltics by utilizing Via Baltica.

"This roadworthy has a dual intent – it will thief our system and fortify nan defence capabilities of our region," Nawrocki said.

Poland and its Baltic neighbours person been connected precocious alert since aggregate drones, thought to beryllium from Russia, entered Polish territory and Russian combatant jets crossed into Estonian aerial abstraction successful September.

The 970 kilometre-long Via Baltica way starts successful Poland’s superior Warsaw and passes done Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, wherever it finishes successful Tallinn.

The building of nan Polish conception of Via Baltica took much than 10 years and costs much than 11 cardinal zlotys (€2.6 billion), of which almost €1 cardinal came from European Union funds.

It is portion of nan European way E67, which links Finland to nan Czech Republic.

The four-lane A5 road connecting Kaunas, Lithuania’s 2nd largest city, pinch Suwalki successful Poland is besides a portion of Via Baltica.

Several northbound sections of Via Baltica are still conscionable 2 lanes and will beryllium expanded later, Lithuania's Transportation Ministry said successful a statement.

Nausėda said nan roadworthy symbolises "freedom, prosperity and security," and that it "plays an highly important economic, commercial, and logistical domiciled successful Lithuania, connecting america pinch nan remainder of nan European market."

Also nether building is simply a companion railway project, known arsenic Rail Baltica, nan first sections of which are owed to beryllium operational by 2030.

Construction of nan caller 870-kilometre railway line, moving from Tallinn to nan Polish separator began successful 2019, but has been beset by delays and disputes betwixt nan Baltic governments complete nan routing of nan line.

There person besides been problems from nan European Commission which considers nan value tag, pinch costs quadrupling from nan original €6 cardinal to €24 billion, to beryllium excessively high.