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

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A major road connecting the three Baltic states to Poland opened Monday at a time of rising tensions between Europe and Russia.

The road known as Via Baltica will pass through a narrow strip of land between Belarus and Russia ’s Kaliningrad exclave, called the Suwalki Gap, which has often been described as a potential targe t if Russia were to attack NATO.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, at an inauguration ceremony on the border between their countries, said the road was the region’s most important corridor and highlighted its role in the region’s defense. NATO troops could potentially move faster in aid of the Baltics by using Via Baltica.

“This road has a dual purpose – it will help our economy and strengthen the defe