Poland is set to reopen its border with Belarus this week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday, two weeks after it was closed during military exercises led by Russia.

The border closure was initially declared on September 9 in anticipation of the Zapad-2025 drills, in which Russian and Belarusian forces staged a simulated conflict with Western nations.

Tusk stated, “The conclusion of these exercises mitigates, although it doesn’t completely remove, the various threats linked to the aggressive stance of our eastern neighbors.”

He further elaborated at a press conference, “Between Wednesday and Thursday at midnight, the border crossings will reopen.”

Tusk added, “If necessary, should tensions or hostile actions from certain neighbors escalate, we will not hesitate to decide to close the border again. However, at this moment, it seems that the immediate concerns have diminished.”

Prior to the military exercises, Poland had raised alarms about Russian drones infringing upon its airspace, while fellow NATO allies cautioned Moscow against further provocations.

Additionally, Poland has recently accused Belarus of facilitating the crossing of undocumented migrants from outside Europe.

The border closure, which also affected rail crossings, disrupted a vital overland trade route for Chinese goods entering Europe, leading to concerns from Beijing.

During his visit to Warsaw on September 15, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was updated on the reasons for the border closure by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

Belarus, a former Soviet state, is an important ally of Russia and allowed Moscow to utilize its territory for the invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.