Border Crisis "Greatest Attempt To Destabilise Europe In 30 Years": Poland
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border, the EU's eastern frontier, the "greatest attempt to destabilise Europe" since the Cold War.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday called the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border, the EU's eastern frontier, the "greatest attempt to destabilise Europe" since the Cold War.
Later Sunday the Polish head of government will meet his counterparts from the Baltic states -- two of which also share a border with Belarus -- to discuss the conflict, before visiting other EU capitals this week.
Belarusian President Alexander "Lukashenko launched a hybrid war against the EU. This is (the) greatest attempt to destabilise Europe in 30 years," Morawiecki said on Twitter.
"Poland will not yield to blackmail and will do everything to defend the EU's borders."
The West accuses Belarus of artificially creating the crisis by bringing in would-be migrants -- mostly from the Middle East -- and taking them to the border with promises of an easy crossing into the European Union.
Belarus has denied the claim, instead criticising the EU for not taking in the migrants.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the BBC on Friday that it was "absolutely possible" his forces had helped people cross into the EU but denied orchestrating the operation.
"We're Slavs. We have hearts. Our troops know the migrants are going to Germany... Maybe someone helped them," he said.
"But I didn't invite them here."
Though there are signs the crisis is easing a little, on Sunday Poland's border guards reported new attempted crossings, including by a "very aggressive group of around 100" migrants.
Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Saturday that Belarus has now changed tactics by directing smaller groups of migrants to multiple points along the border.
The migrants have abandoned everything in their countries, spending thousands of dollars to fly into Belarus on tourist visas, determined to reach the European Union.
Polish media say at least 11 migrants have died since the crisis began over the summer.
Later Sunday the Polish head of government will meet his counterparts from the Baltic states -- two of which also share a border with Belarus -- to discuss the conflict, before visiting other EU capitals this week.
Belarusian President Alexander "Lukashenko launched a hybrid war against the EU. This is (the) greatest attempt to destabilise Europe in 30 years," Morawiecki said on Twitter.
"Poland will not yield to blackmail and will do everything to defend the EU's borders."
The West accuses Belarus of artificially creating the crisis by bringing in would-be migrants -- mostly from the Middle East -- and taking them to the border with promises of an easy crossing into the European Union.
Belarus has denied the claim, instead criticising the EU for not taking in the migrants.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the BBC on Friday that it was "absolutely possible" his forces had helped people cross into the EU but denied orchestrating the operation.
"We're Slavs. We have hearts. Our troops know the migrants are going to Germany... Maybe someone helped them," he said.
"But I didn't invite them here."
Though there are signs the crisis is easing a little, on Sunday Poland's border guards reported new attempted crossings, including by a "very aggressive group of around 100" migrants.
Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Saturday that Belarus has now changed tactics by directing smaller groups of migrants to multiple points along the border.
The migrants have abandoned everything in their countries, spending thousands of dollars to fly into Belarus on tourist visas, determined to reach the European Union.
Polish media say at least 11 migrants have died since the crisis began over the summer.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
