Russia ready to offer help to resolve Belarus-Poland crisis, says Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with Russia-1 (a state-owned Russian Tv channel) said that Moscow is ready to help address the migrant situation on the border between Belarus and the European Union. Tensions erupted on November 8, spurred by refugees attempting to enter Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia via Belarus. Hundreds of individuals crossed the Belarusian-Polish border. EU member states accused Minsk of exacerbating the conflict on purpose and demand sanctions. President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, for his part, blamed the issue on Western countries, claiming that their activities pushed people to escape their war-torn homelands.

"When we hear some statements and accusations against us, I would like to tell everyone: mind your own domestic issues, don't try to shift them to others because it is your related agencies that need to resolve them. However, we are ready to do our utmost (to help resolve the situation) if there is anything we can do," Russian President Putin said in response to interviewer's questions.

They are looking for someone to blame in order to avoid responsibility, says Putin

He emphasised that suspicions of Russian participation in the migration crisis indicate someone's desire to transfer blame for the current circumstances. According to Putin, Western countries are attempting to avoid responsibility for the migrant crisis on the border between Belarus and the European Union. On being asked by the interviewer, why western countries have been avoiding the Belarus-Poland border crisis' responsibilities, Putin stated, "I have already explained why, there are political, military and economic reasons. They were the ones who created conditions where thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people left their homes. And now they are looking for someone to blame in order to avoid responsibility for what is happening."

The Russian president stated that the media had informed him of the migratory situation. This is the first time he discussed it with (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko. However, since the situation began, they have spoken on the phone twice according to Putin. The Russian president had previously voiced the hope that Lukashenko and Acting German Chancellor Angela Merkel would meet soon to resolve the situation, as the majority of migrants sought to enter Germany. 

After being denied access into the EU country, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 migrants and refugees, many of whom are apparently from the Middle East and Afghanistan, are camped out in what is practically a no-man's land between Belarus and Poland. Human rights organisations and global bodies have expressed worry for their well-being, citing a rash of recorded deaths on both sides of the border as evidence of the perilous conditions they confront as winter approaches. On both sides, aid workers, lawyers, and journalists have been barred from entering vital border districts.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP