Fears are mounting that Putin could launch an attack.
Poland and Lithuania are drawing up evacuation plans amid concerns over a potential Russian attack (Image: Getty)
Poland and Lithuania are drawing up evacuation plans amid increasing concerns of an attack by Russia, fuelling fears of a wider conflict. The European allies are developing procedures, logistics, and infrastructure including putting together escape routes through the Suwałki Gap.
The strategic corridor is around 40 miles wide at its narrowest point and is NATO’s only land connection between the Baltic states and the rest of the alliance. Nicknamed NATO’S “Achilles heel” the gap is between Vladimir Putin’s heavily militarised Kaliningrad exclave and his ally Alexander Lukashenko’s Belarus, it is feared the Kremlin may launch an attack here. If Russian and Belarusian troops were to seize or blockade it during a conflict, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia could be cut off from allied land reinforcements and full-blown conflict with Moscow could begin.
Get the latest news from around the world and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
The Suwałki Gap is Nicknamed NATO’S ‘Achilles heel’ (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
If Putin were to move his forces from Belarus across the gap to Kaliningrad, he could isolate Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from allies in central and western Europe.
Vilnius and Warsaw are now working on an agreement to provide a detailed evacuation framework, the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre said.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, said: “Procedures, logistics, and infrastructure capabilities are being analysed together with colleagues from Poland, and the plan itself should be developed once an agreement is reached between the two countries.”
The plans will also facilitate the evacuation of residents from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia across the Polish border. A detailed plan is to be drawn up once Poland and Lithuania reach an appropriate agreement.
Poland marking the historic 1920 victory over Russia during a parade in Warsaw (Image: Getty)
The preparations are being undertaken as part of Lithuania’s “Vyčio Skliautas 2026” exercises, which commenced on September 25 to assess nationwide drills testing, responses to potential threats like hybrid war, cyberattacks and sabotage.
As part of the procedures around 20 Polish officials travelled to Lithuania and some 3,000 officials and around 1,000 volunteers are involved in the drills which are set to last until October 2.
Earlier this month Poland’s prime minister has warned Donald Tusk that the next few months will bring “very intensive actions” from Russia who could launch “hybrid drone or missile strikes”.
He said that an attack on Polish territory could not be ruled out. Tusk added that such attacks could be intended to test NATO’s willingness to invoke Article 5, which states that an armed attack against a NATO ally is legally considered as an attack against all 32 members of the alliance.
Andy Burnham faces his first revolt – Angela Rayner just couldn’t keep her mouth shut
If you thought all was sweetness and light in Andy Burnham’s Labour, you haven’t been watching Angela Rayner.
Angela Rayner has a nerve, going for a fellow cabinet minister (Image: Getty)
The Labour Party conference begins in Liverpool today and on the face of it, it’s going to be very different to the last one. A year ago, Andy Burnham was persona non grata. Ministers took turns sneering at the King of the North’s ambitions to become PM, while pledging their loyalty to Sir Keir Starmer. You won’t find many Starmer loyalists today, although one or two will be drifting about, muttering old mantras about “difficult decisions”. But behind the smiles, frustrations are growing and knives are being sharpened.
No prizes for guessing who’s first to wield hers. It had to be Angela Rayner, didn’t it? Probably the last thing Burnham needed right now was for Red Ange to take on the most toxic subject of the lot: immigration. And use it to shaft a senior member of his cabinet – Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Rayner attacked Mahmood’s migrant crackdown right on the eve of conference, despite knowing exactly what a fuss it would cause. She repeated her criticism of plans to make foreign care workers wait 15 years for permanent residence, saying Labour had “changed the goalposts”.
It’s not the first time she’s lunged for Mahmood. Rayner knows she has plenty of support, which only makes it worse. More than 100 Labour MPs have opposed Mahmood’s reforms, while trade unions are also campaigning against them. Unison is holding a migrant care worker rally in Liverpool on Monday. Lucky Mahmood.
I admire Mahmood, a minister who rolls up her sleeves and cracks on, running the hardest Whitehall department of the lot. She’s the only one who stuck to her job in a sea of incompetence that was the Starmer regime. She doesn’t indulge in political posturing, unlike our firebrand Housing Secretary.
Many will sympathise with Rayner’s complaint that it’s unfair to recruit care workers from overseas, then tighten settlement rules later. But this is a tough area, and Mahmood has to make tough decisions. She doesn’t deserve to have Rayner exploit the issue to milk applause from the left.
It’s the last thing Andy Burnham needs as well. He’s shied away from toxic issues like this one, hoping to treat the nation to some feel-good political fun. Then up steps Rayner at the worst possible time.
When it comes to stepping on the toes of other cabinet ministers, Rayner has form. Remember how she handed a list of tax demands to former chancellor Rachel Reeves? While doing incoherent things with her own tax return. Knows no shame, our Ange. And she won’t be the only Labour delegate involved in a bit of red-on-red brutality in Liverpool.
Starmer’s former business secretary Peter Kyle is arguing for a more vigorous approach to wealth creation. That won’t win friends on the backbenches. They only want to tax wealth, not generate it.
Starmer’s former chief secretary Darren Jones, the man who pointed out that Burnham’s plan to cut VAT on electricity bills wasn’t properly funded, may also be willing to speak a bit of truth to the new power.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has even argued that the EU isn’t the answer to all Britain’s problems, which will have delegates blocking their ears. Then there’ll be the usual rabble of leftie activists, ranting on about Gaza, demanding Burnham nationalises the water companies, berating North Sea drilling and, of course, having a pop at Mahmood.
Plus there’ll be some real crackpots who are still furious that Burnham didn’t make Ed Miliband chancellor and destroy British capitalism for good. Instead, they’ve got boring old John Healey, banging on about sticking to fiscal rules. None of the faithful flocking to Liverpool wants to hear that. Meet the new Labour Party, increasingly similar to the old one. Angela Rayner hasn’t changed her spots at all.
Andy Burnham’s new bombshell plan could mark ‘beginning of the end’ for PM
The prime minister has vowed to reform the social care system.
Andy Burnham has vowed to reform the social care system (Image: Getty)
Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid has voiced concerns that if Andy Burnham‘s new plans involve targeting pensioners, then it could mark the “beginning of the end” of his time in office. On Sunday (September 27), the prime minister said he is prepared to make unpopular choices and hike taxes to fund an NHS-style social care system. However, he has been warned against scrapping the triple lock, which ensures the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5%.
Susanna, 55, highlighted the major problem Keir Starmer faced when he came into office after removing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, sparking widespread outrage. She argued that while the social care system needs to be reformed, questions remain over how it will be funded. “Unfortunately, there is a massive issue about how we pay for it because it would cost billions,” Susanna said. Of course, that would be a worthwhile investment, but that money has to come from somewhere.”
A Good Morning Britain viewer who got in touch via WhatsApp said: “I hope Burnham doesn’t make the same mistake which Starmer did by targeting pensioners who don’t get much, especially if they only get the state pension.”
Susanna explained: “Because it could be a removal of the triple lock on pensioners. The comparison is being made with Starmer coming in and removing the winter fuel allowance. That was the beginning of the end for that prime minister.”
Ed Balls added: “That is right. Andy Burnham is passionate about this. He says he is going to rip the plaster off. He has been campaigning for a tax rise or more money for social care for the past 15 years.”
Susanna acknowledged: “It’s really honourable and we all want social care fixed.”
Ed pointed out where Starmer went wrong, arguing that he won the election on a manifesto pledge to retain the winter fuel payment, only to go back on his word and scrap it after taking office.
Susanna Reid pointed out that Keir Starmer’s decision to scrap the winter fuel payment marked the “beginning of the end” of his time in office (Image: ITV)
The presenter went on: “Andy Burnham is not going to make that mistake because he is going to announce on Tuesday what will be in the next manifesto for Labour.
“He says the only solution on social care is to break the manifesto from the last time round. That either means a rise in income tax, National Insurance or VAT to pay for it.”
“Or it means something else, and everybody is saying in the papers today that it looks likely that he will drop the triple lock on pensions.
“That therefore means pensioners will end up, in some sense, paying for this. What Andy Burnham did yesterday on the Laura Kuenssberg show was announce the most central, controversial proposal.”
Ed added: “It is absolutely massive.”
Susanna weighed in: “Yes, because there is a huge row about how we pay for our defence. And can you do both of them?”