Putin and Lukashenko talked about the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border – Topky.sk

Minsk said the pair were discussing “tough steps the Polish side has taken against non-violent people.” A statement from the Belarusian President’s Office’s press department also said that both presidents had expressed concern about the deployment of Polish troops at the border. The statement said that the leaders of both countries spoke about the events at the border from the last period “in detail”.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday that the European Union should provide financial assistance to Belarus to stop the flow of migrants trying to enter Europe. Lavrov recalled the situation when migrants from Turkey were flowing into Europe, and how the European Union would set aside financial aid for Turkey so that migrants could stay on its territory.

Poland is under the onslaught of migrants

“Why is it not possible to help Belarusians in this way, who have everything necessary to ensure that refugees, whom neither Lithuania nor Poland want to allow into their territory, live in normal conditions anyway?” said Lavrov.

Source: SITA / Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Since the summer, Poland has been under an increasing influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa who are trying to join the EU. Poland is blocking these attempts or sending those crossing the border back to Belarus. Warsaw and the EU claim that this is an organized action by the Belarusian government aimed at destabilizing the bloc in retaliation for the Western sanctions imposed in connection with the controversial presidential election, the brutal suppression of subsequent protests and the persecution of the Belarusian opposition.

On Monday evening, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called on the member states of the European Union to expand the list of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities responsible for the hybrid attack on the Polish-Belarusian border.

Lukashenko does not want a conflict with migrants, but does not want to give up

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that he did not want an armed conflict over the stalemate of migrants on the border with Poland, but also refused to “fall to his knees”. The AFP agency informed about it. “We’re not looking for a fight.” Lukashenko said, noting that any conflict would involve Russia, which is an ally of Belarus. According to Lukashenko, he is aware of what a possible confrontation could lead to. But Belarus “knows its place and does not fall to its knees.”

Hundreds of migrants moved to the border with Poland on Monday, where they were stopped by the Polish police, army and border guard, writes the TASS agency. Poland and Belarus said on Tuesday that there were currently 3,000 to 4,000 migrants in a makeshift camp near the Polish village of Kuzhnica.

“Closing the Polish border is in our national interest,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter. “However, the stability and security of the EU as a whole is at stake today,” he added. “This hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime is aimed at all of us. But we will not be intimidated and we will defend peace in Europe with our NATO and EU partners.” wrote the Polish Prime Minister.

However, Belarus warned the Polish side not to provoke Minsk. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense said that Poland had placed 10,000 troops on the border without Minsk notifying them in advance. According to the ministry, this is a violation of the mutual agreement on security, writes TASS.