During a government meeting in Minsk today, President Alexander Lukashenko advised the West to think carefully before threatening Belarus with new sanctions and closing its borders, threatening to cut off the gas supply to Europe.

According to the Belarusian president's press office, Lukashenko said, "We are heating Europe, they are still threatening us that they will close the border. And if we shut off natural gas there? Therefore, I would recommend that the Polish leadership, Lithuanians, and other headless people think before speaking."

He also stressed that there will be no crossings to Ukraine, explaining: "There are no roads through the Baltic countries. If we close the borders to the Poles, and, for example, to the Germans, what will happen then? We will stop at nothing while we defend our sovereignty and independence."

Lukashenko noted that the Russian cross-border gas pipeline "Yamal-Europe", which passes through Belarus, has recently significantly increased the volume of gas supplies pumped through it from Russia to the West.

In addition, the president noted that the State Department should warn everyone in Europe that if they impose additional sanctions that are "indigestible" and "unacceptable" to Ebtisam, they will retaliate.