I crossed the Suwałki Isthmus. You can feel the tension at every step

Ashley Davis01/03/2026

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Marijampolė is a small, sleepy town in southern Lithuania. On a Thursday, September evening, the city's main square is completely empty. Some lights are on at the local police headquarters, but a large statue of a rider on a horse (a symbol of the country's thousand-year history) stares at the deserted city center. Everything changes in the morning. The square is filled with soldiers, military vehicles and vehicles of special police units.

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Nothing sudden happens – it's just a police-military picnic. However, it is impressive how quickly the square filled up, which was almost completely empty in the evening. The military shows off their weapons and their off-road vehicles, and entire classes from nearby schools come to see them.

Viešojo saugumo tarnyba – the special services of the Lithuanian Ministry of Interior and Administration – show their greatest pride. It is an armored vehicle of the Canadian brand Inkas. “Please, come in,” one of the officers shouts at me. “A piece of machinery,” I reply. — Is it to protect the isthmus against “little green men”? – I'm asking. The officer just smiles knowingly.

Inkas armored vehicle

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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska

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Military men and policemen at the picnic say that since February 2022 – that is, since the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine – there are more and more people willing to join the Lithuanian services. Volunteer troops, i.e. our Territorial Defense Forces, especially benefit from this.

This is how the isthmus has changed

I was in the same city eight years ago. I then crossed the isthmus on the Polish side and visited Mariampol. Both the Lithuanian and Polish parts of this region had a lot in common then and still have today.

Podlasie has long been considered an area that is relatively underdeveloped in economic terms. Additionally, from the perspective of the inhabitants of Wrocław or Poznań, it is the very tip of Poland. It is similar on the Lithuanian side. The Mariampol district is one of the poorest in the country. GDP per capita was PLN 14.4 thousand in 2022. euro — while in Vilnius it was over 35,000. euro.

However, the increase is visible both in numbers and on the streets. Between 2021 and 2022, GDP per capita in Marijampole and the surrounding area increased by as much as PLN 2.5 thousand. euro. Investments can be seen at every step. Eight years ago I drove through the isthmus on potholed roads, now I can drive comfortably thanks to Via Baltica. In Marijampole, a city of only 35,000 people, new apartments, restaurants and shopping malls are being built. You can see electric scooters, newly opened bank branches, chargers for electric cars and parcel collection machines – things that are ultimately associated with modernity. Even if all these development attributes are mixed with traditional wooden houses, of which there are plenty in the area.

However, this is quite a change – eight years ago it was difficult to eat here or see many things that were associated with modernity.

The most dangerous place on earth?

Something else has changed. Lithuanian flags can be seen everywhere. They are posted on buildings, people have them on their jacket lapels. Even the local Lidl uses the Lithuanian flag in its promotional posters.

Lidl in Lithuania

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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska

“Is this the most dangerous place in the world?” – I ask the residents. Some are a bit confused, others are even a bit offended. However, everyone emphasizes that they are just trying to live their lives and not stress too much about geopolitics.

However, there are those who admit that in some sense the region benefits from the difficult geopolitical situation. The local sections of the Via Baltica road were completed quite quickly, partly because it has not only economic but also military importance. Moreover, from 2022, important meetings or military exercises are held in the area every now and then. And it is also a bit of a development flywheel for local companies. Shops, restaurants and hotels take advantage of this.

Soldiers and police cars at a picnic in a Lithuanian city

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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska

See also: Alarming report. The Russians are recruiting soldiers in another country

Of course, there are shadows to the whole situation – and it's not just about fear of possible Russian aggression. Controls returned to the border with Poland some time ago, which is a problem for residents, but above all a problem for entrepreneurs and truck drivers. It is also no big secret that the “isthmus” region has made a good living from trade with Russia and Belarus for years. Now it's actually impossible.

Wooden house in the city of Marijampolė

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Mateusz Madejski / Business Insider Polska

See also: The German military is “concerned” about questions from the AfD

Russia's aggressive policy changed something else. Relations between Poland and Lithuania are, of course, marked by a very difficult history, but they were not easy either in the 1990s or 2000s. Now both nations began to trust each other more and more. — Not so long ago, people in Polish uniforms were not so welcome here. This has definitely changed, a Polish soldier who came to Lithuania for training told me.

A young resident of Marijampole told me that Suwałki is “a little over 40 minutes away by car” – all thanks to recently opened roads. – Well, unless Polish customs officers check it at the border. But this happens less and less often, he smiles.