Polish Prime Minister Mateus Morawiecki said on Sunday (November 14) that Poland is in consultation with Lithuania and Latvia on whether to require NATO Article 4 to discuss the crisis at the border between Poland and Belarus.
Moravitsky told NATO to take “concrete steps” to resolve the immigration crisis at the Belarusian border Polish News Agency.
“It is not enough for us to express our concerns publicly-now we need concrete steps and the commitment of the entire alliance,” he added.
Thousands of migrants went to Belarus last weekend in hopes of entering the European Union, but because Polish guards prevented countless attempts to break through the border fence, they were still trapped in the freezing environment of the border.
Since the beginning of September, the border area has been in a state of emergency, with thousands of border guards, police and military deployed to the area.
at the same time, Lens Information from the border indicated that Belarusian soldiers had blinded Polish soldiers, while others tried to dismantle part of the border.
Some countries in the region warned that the confrontation could escalate into a military conflict.
“We are discussing with Latvia, especially Lithuania, whether to trigger Article 4,” Morawiecki said.
“It seems to be needed more and more. It is not enough to express our concerns publicly. Now we need specific steps and commitments from the entire alliance,” he added.
Article 4 requires consultations on military issues when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either party is threatened”.
So far, Article 4 has been triggered four times, once during the 2003 Iraq War, after Syria shot down a Turkish military aircraft in June 2012, after Syria’s attack on Turkey in October 2012 and its counterattack, and in February 2020. After the offensive in northwestern Syria led to increased tensions.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland held an Article 4 meeting in March 2014 to respond to the Crimean crisis, but the article did not trigger.
According to NATO sources, the border security situation under NATO Article 4 may be discussed at the next ministerial meeting in early December.
On Monday (November 8), NATO warned Belarus not to use refugees as a tool against military alliances.
Until recently, the alliance has strengthened its strategy to defend against any potential hybrid attacks.
“There is no doubt that this matter has gone too far,” Moravitsky said.
Moravitsky told action plan EU leaders will discuss further sanctions against Belarus, including the complete closure of the border.
“We already know that words alone are not enough to stop the Belarusian regime. We know that sanctions need to be strengthened,” he said, adding that he maintains contact with EU leaders and works closely with the prime ministers of Lithuania and Latvia.
The head of EU foreign policy Josep Borrell (Josep Borrell) said that the EU will expand sanctions on Belarus on Monday to include airlines and travel agencies believed to be involved in transporting migrants.
Morawiecki said that the EU should jointly fund the construction of the border wall.
At the same time, the Lithuanian National Defense Council (VGT) has agreed on a standard that will lead the country to seek NATO assistance in response to its so-called Belarusian “mixed aggression”. This decision will be made by consensus among all countries. leader.
The National Defense Commission is composed of the President of Lithuania, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the Army.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken had a conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Law on Saturday, saying that Belarus’s actions threatened regional security and were decentralized. Has attracted the attention of Russia’s military activities on the Ukrainian border.
“Faced with the cynical exploitation of vulnerable immigrants by the Lukashenko regime, Secretary of State Brinken reiterated US support for Poland,” Price said in a statement on Sunday.
Price added: “The actions of the Lukashenko regime threatened security, planted divisions, and were designed to distract Russia’s activities on the Ukrainian border.”
Brinken last week warned Russian troops of operations near Ukraine and warned Moscow not to invade like Crimea took over seven years ago.
RIA Novosti quoted a report from the national television channel on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin, the main supporter of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, stated that Russia is ready to help resolve the crisis.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
