A sort ofIn view of the tension on the border between Belarus and Poland, Prime Minister Angela Merkel spoke with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko on Monday night. According to government spokesman Steffen Seibert (Steffen Seibert), the call was about the “difficult situation on the border between Belarus and the European Union.” According to a report by Belarusian State Television, the conversation lasted about 50 minutes. For example, it discussed how to prevent the border situation from escalating. This is also humanitarian support for immigrants stranded in the border area.
At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron called Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both parties requested a easing of the situation along the Polish-Belarusian border. They also talked about the role that Russia can play in resolving the conflict, as it was later called by the Elysée circle. According to the Kremlin, Putin criticized the “severe suppression” of immigrants by the Polish border guards and said that EU heads of state should discuss this issue directly with Lukashenko.
European Union foreign ministers decided on Monday to impose new sanctions on those involved in smuggling migrants to Belarus. The Council of Member States announced on Monday that the EU will now be able to target people and institutions that contribute to the use of the people for political purposes by the Belarusian regime.
The US government announced late Monday that it is preparing to impose new sanctions on Belarus. As announced by the spokesperson of the US State Department, Ned Price, in view of the “inhumane” behavior of the Belarusian government, punitive measures are being prepared “in close coordination with the EU and other partners and allies.” Price said that Lukashenko’s leadership must be responsible for his “continuous attacks on democracy, human rights and international norms.” “We condemn their ruthless exploitation and coercion of disadvantaged groups and their inhumane support for the irregular cross-border movement of refugees.”
EU accuses Lukashenko of calculus
At the same time, more and more migrants are gathering on the Belarusian side of the Kuznica crossing on the EU’s external border between Poland and Belarus. According to the police, there are currently about 3,500 people gathered there, Stanislaw Zaryn, a spokesman for the Polish Secret Service Coordinator, wrote on Twitter on Monday. He also posted a video with aerial photos. They displayed a large group of people at the customs clearance facility at the closed border crossing and an abandoned, destroyed tent camp nearby.
However, on Monday night, the situation at the Kuznica crossing point remained calm for the time being. Refugees have started setting up tent camps there, Stanislaw Zaryn, spokesperson for the agent coordinator, wrote on Twitter. He also posted photos showing people wearing winter clothes, tents and sleeping bags under the roof of the transit station.
In contrast, near the village of Starzyna, a group of hundreds of immigrants tried to break through the border fortifications, but to no avail. The police spokesperson reported. Police, border guards and soldiers were thrown stones in the incident. Since Poland has declared a state of emergency in the border area, this information cannot be independently verified. Reporters and assistants are not allowed inside.
Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski wrote on Twitter that Poland intends to start building permanent fortifications on its border with Belarus this year. Poland has set up temporary fences at the border. This is a barbed wire fence about 2.50 meters high. It will now be replaced by a 5.5-meter-high permanent barrier equipped with motion detectors and cameras.
The European Union accuses Belarusian ruler Lukashenko of systematically bringing refugees from crisis areas to the EU’s external borders. He is believed to be trying to retaliate against the EU sanctions imposed on Belarusian civil society and opposition.
