WARSAW/MINSK - Poland will completely close its border with Belarus starting at midnight on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said.

"For national security reasons, we will close the border with Belarus, including railway crossings ... on Thursday at midnight, from Thursday to Friday," Tusk said ahead of a government meeting on Tuesday.

According to the Polish Press Agency, the closure will apply to all crossings, notably those of railways.

In response, Belarus has protested the Polish decision to halt border crossings during the period of Russia-Belarus military drills Zapad-2025, according to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

The Belarusian side has summoned Poland's charge d'affaires Krzysztof Ozanna in Minsk and issued a verbal protest.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Poland's unilateral move is expected to affect the entire EU-Belarus border, disrupting the movement of people and goods.