Belarus accused the West on Wednesday of orchestrating the ongoing migration crisis at the Polish border where thousands of migrants wishing to travel to the European Union are stranded, sparking significant tensions. "
In view of a fifth round of sanctions, which they are already talking about in the West, the pretext used this time is the migration crisis caused by the EU and its members bordering Belarus,
" said the foreign minister. Belarusian Vladimir Makei, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Vladimir Makeï said he hoped for "
reinforced work
" with Russia, his main ally, in particular "
a common reaction
"
to
"
unfriendly acts
" targeting Belarus.
Read alsoBelorussia accuses Warsaw of having abused migrants
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added that Minsk and Moscow had "
effectively
strengthened
their collaboration to counter a campaign against Belarus launched by Washington and its European allies in international organizations
".
Thousands of migrants wishing to enter Poland are currently stuck on the border with Belarus in freezing cold.
Soldiers were deployed on either side, raising fears of an escalation.
Read alsoMigrants: Europeans in the Belarusian trap
For months, Europeans have accused Minsk of voluntarily issuing transit visas to these migrants, mainly from the Middle East, in order to destabilize the European Union.
According to Brussels, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is fueling this crisis in revenge for the sanctions decided against his regime after the crushing of an opposition movement triggered following his contested re-election in August 2020. Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, for his part, accused Russian leader Vladimir Poutine, Minsk's main ally, of being the “
sponsor
” of this wave of migrants.