Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko voiced hopes of managing and improving relations with Poland and Lithuania during a meeting with military university graduates in Minsk on Tuesday.
Lukashenko mentioned his willingness to regulate relations not only with Poland but also Lithuania. However, he pointed out the lack of reciprocal actions, and said this had necessitated Belarus staying alert and “keeping its weapons at the ready.”
Tensions between Poland and Belarus have been escalating since 2021, following Belarus’s strategy to pressure the EU by facilitating illegal migration across its borders. This action was taken in response to the EU sanctions placed on Minsk.
Belarus had invited thousands of migrants under the pretext of providing them with simple access to the EU via Lithuania and Poland.
Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov recently stated that Belarus is open to dialogue with Poland regarding the migration issue at their shared border. However, he criticized Poland for not responding to the proposal and instead making "political demands," which Belarus deems “unacceptable.”
Tensions between Poland and Belarus have been escalating since 2021, following Belarus’s strategy to pressure the EU by facilitating illegal migration across its borders. This action was taken in response to the EU sanctions placed on Minsk.
Belarus had invited thousands of migrants under the pretext of providing them with simple access to the EU via Lithuania and Poland.
Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov recently stated that Belarus is open to dialogue with Poland regarding the migration issue at their shared border. However, he criticized Poland for not responding to the proposal and instead making "political demands," which Belarus deems “unacceptable.”
Points of pressure
According to the independent Belarusian website Naša Niva, the potential interruption of cross-border goods transport from Poland to Belarus is considered "the main instrument of pressure from Poland on the Belarusian authorities."
The website suggests that Poland aims to mitigate the ongoing migration crisis at the border and secure the release of the detained Polish minority activist and journalist, Andrzej Poczobut, who is currently held in Belarus.
The website reported that Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed the border tensions during a recent visit to China. Later, Poland initiated rigorous inspections at the Malaszewicze border rail terminal, a crucial point for the shipment of Chinese goods, sending a clear signal to Belarus.
Subsequently, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of migrants attempting to cross the border.
Source: TVP World, PAP
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