Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Poland-Belarus: Putin behind migrant crisis at border, says Morawiecki

Poland-Belarus: Putin behind migrant crisis at border, says Morawiecki

Poland's prime minister accused the Russian president of orchestrating the influx of migrants attempting to cross from Belarus, in a parliamentary debate on Tuesday.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused the Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating the migration crisis on the country's border with Belarus.

"(Belarusian leader) Lukashenko is the executor of the latest assault, but this assault has a sponsor who is to be found in Moscow, and this sponsor is President Putin," Morawiecki said during an emergency debate in the Polish parliament.

The prime minister described the situation at the border as part of an effort by Russia to disrupt a region that it controlled during the Soviet era.

"The security of our eastern border is being brutally violated. This is the first such situation in 30 years when we can say that the integrity of our borders is being tested,” he said.

The Russian and Belarusian leaders spoke by phone about the tensions at the border between Poland and Belarus, Moscow and Minsk said on Tuesday.

Poland reinforced its border with Belarus with more riot police, a day after groups tried to charge through a barbed wire fence. Thousands of migrants and refugees remain massed in freezing cold weather Poland's eastern frontier, on the doorstep of the European Union.

Meanwhile on Wednesday Belarusian authorities accused Poland of abusing four migrants at the border.

"In view of the numerous injuries on the migrants' bodies, Polish law enforcement officers treated them brutally and chased them over the barbed wire fence at the border with Belarus," the Belarusian Border Guard Service said.

Moscow's role under scrutiny


The European Union said on Tuesday that it is monitoring 20 countries, including Russia, for their possible role in the transport of migrants towards Belarus, which Brussels accuses of orchestrating the influx of migrants on its external borders.

Measures have been taken against 13 nations from where flights are said to have carried migrants to Minsk.

A spokesman for the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Moscow was on its "radar", and Brussels was evaluating information and data on flights from Russia and its possible implication.

Acknowledging the phone call between Lukashenko and Putin, a statement from the Kremlin simply referred to "an exchange of views on the refugee situation".

Earlier, spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Moscow was "very worried", describing the situation as "a real problem which concerns Belarus and Poland".

Lukashenko's office elaborated further, saying the circumstances at the border had featured prominently in the conversation between the two leaders, "as well as the harsh actions of the Polish party towards civilians".

Minsk has tried to shift the blame onto Poland, describing as "particularly worrying" the deployment of Polish security forces at the border. In an interview on Tuesday, Lukashenko blamed Poland for flouting its humanitarian obligations, accusing Poland of conducting a "war" against the migrants.

Russia is Belarus' main ally and Lukashenko has relied on Putin for political and financial support in the face of increased pressure from the EU and the West over last year's disputed election, human rights and more recently the migration crisis.

The sudden surge in numbers and attempted crossings into Poland on Monday brought international condemnation of Belarus. The EU accused Lukashenko of a "cynical" exploitation of migrants, orchestrating the influx in revenge for European sanctions imposed on his autocratic regime after the brutal repression of opposition in the country.

The EU believes Belarus has been flying people from Middle Eastern countries and dumping them at EU borders, or facilitating their journeys -- exploiting them in a "cynical" manner to destabilise the bloc in retaliation for Western sanctions.

The past few days represent a major escalation in tensions between Minsk and its neighbours. For months migrants have been arriving at the country's border not just with Poland -- but also with Lithuania and to a lesser extent, Latvia -- the three EU states on the bloc's eastern border with Belarus.

Michel demands 'rapid' solution on border financing


European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday demanded a "rapid" solution on EU border financing amid what he called Belarus' "weaponising" of migrants at its eastern frontier.

Michel has called on the other member states to support Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

"Polish and Baltic borders are EU borders. One for all and all for one," the Belgian said on Tuesday during a speech marking the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Twelve EU countries - including Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and also Denmark, Austria and Hungary - demanded at the beginning of October that physical barriers at the borders be at least partially financed from EU funds.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, however, rejected this demand.

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.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×