Lukashenko says 'will never betray' Russia as EU, US & Canada step up sanctions on Belarus

As migrant influx at the Poland-Belarus border continues to extend the rift between Belarus and the European Union, President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday assured that Minsk will never betray Russia as pressure from the 27-member bloc, the US and its allies increase on both nations.

Speaking at a parliamentary meeting on November 3, President Lukashenko emphasised that "it is no secret that a hybrid war is being waged, a war that started long ago and not just against us" adding that "it is first of all against the Russian Federation, and we are a link in this pressure on Russia," Russian news agency, Tass reported.

"Can we change course and betray Russia and the Russian people? We cannot," the Belarusian President asserted.

Lukashenko's assertions came a day after he said that the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014, is legally Russian territory, after holding an opposite stance for nearly seven years on the territorial dispute over the Black Sea region.

In an interview with RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Lukashenko stated Crimea was "de facto Russian." The statement was, however, condemned by Kyiv with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stating that "Crimea is not a field for compromise."

US, EU, UK and Canada slap new sanctions on Belarus

Amid the ongoing pressure campaign by Western countries on Belarus, the US, Canada and EU expanded sanctions on officials and other entities, accusing Minsk of human rights violations and "orchestrating" irregular migration at EU borders. The North American countries along with Britain and the bloc announced the sanctions in a joint statement released by the US State Department on Thursday.

“Today's actions demonstrate our unwavering determination to act in the face of a brutal regime that increasingly represses Belarusians, undermines the peace and security of Europe, and continues to abuse people seeking only to live in freedom,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

While the US said that sanctions are meant to "raise the cost" on Lukashenko's government for "callous exploitation of vulnerable migrants," the UK froze the assets of OJSC Belaruskali, a state-owned potash fertilizer producer.

Additionally, Washington has also restricted economic dealing with Minsk by banning transactions with Belarusian government bonds released on or after December 2 and have a maturity date greater than 90 days.

Welcoming the steps by its allies, Blinken also commended Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, for their response to the migrant crisis allegedly created by the Lukashenko regime on their borders.

Poland-Belarus border crisis

The migrant crisis at the eastern borders of Poland and Belarus has dramatically escalated as hundreds of asylum seekers, from mostly the Middle East and Asia, began to set up tents behind barbed wire fences in hopes of crossing into European Union member Poland and further into Europe to claim refuge.

There have been at least 4,500 recorded border crossing attempts according to Polish authorities. In last week, around 1,000 attempted undocumented crossings were thwarted by Polish authorities, leading to detainment and further deterioration of crisis along the border.

(Image: AP)