Poland, Lithuania using crisis at Belarus-Poland border to gain funds from EU: Belarus

Poland and Lithuania are using the crisis at the Belarus-Poland border to gain additional funds from the European Union (EU), Valentin Rybakov Belarusian Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) told Sputnik. While the US, EU and NATO have accused the Belarusian government of manufacturing a migrant crisis on the EU’s eastern border, Rybakov told the Russian news agency that both European nations are using the ground situation at the border “in their interests” and for “justifying their anti-migration policy.”

"From our point of view, Poland and Lithuania are using the situation around migrants in their interests as a pretext for gaining additional funds from the European Union as well as for justifying their anti-migration policy and multiple violations of their international commitments", Rybakov reportedly said.

The Belarusian diplomat also laid emphasis that by “demonising” Minsk, both Poland and Lithuania “seek to boost their importance and role in European and international politics.” Rybakov also told the news agency that Belarus expects the 27-nation-bloc to make the first move and start a dialogue to jointly resolve the border crisis. He was further quoted by the media outlet as saying, “We are ready for cooperation and dialogue to ensure security on our common border, cooperation primarily with the EU, as we have a problem between Belarus and EU countries.” 

“We expect the EU... to take the first step, to show some sound pragmatism, to start a dialogue with us, then we can start solving this problem through joint efforts,” he added. The Belarusian diplomat has also warned against succumbing to panic regarding the ongoing border crisis. He told Sputnik, “The only thing that is needed now is a request to the UN, to its structures and all countries to calmly and thoroughly study the information coming from the border and not to succumb to panic sparked by Telegram channels and fake news.”

What is happening at Belarus-Poland border?

These migrants are some of the thousands of stranded people between Poland and Belarus who are stuck at the centre of an escalating geopolitical dispute that has pitted the European Union, the US and NATO against the Belarusian government. The West has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of manufacturing a migrant crisis on the EU’s eastern border in a bid to destabilise the bloc as a retaliation to the sanctions over human rights abuses. However, his government has denied all the allegations and blamed the West for dangerous, fatal, border crossings and even poor treatment of migrants. 

According to the media report, the Polish border guard said on Thursday, 11 November that it recorded more than 1,000 crossing attempts in just the last two days. These attempts reportedly included some of the “large-scale” efforts with around 100 people trying to breach the fence. Migrants who have flocked the Belarus border with Poland, are hoping to get to Western Europe but since many of them are left stranded, they have started building makeshift camps in the area.

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