Minsk-Sana
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stressed the need to avoid turning the migrant crisis on his country's borders with Poland into confrontation and clashes, reiterating his commitment to defending the sovereignty and people of Belarus.
"Maintaining border security is a priority for us in the face of the increasing flow of migrants to Belarus," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by Belta Agency at a meeting to discuss the migrant crisis today. "We are not only witnessing the spread of border guards along the borders of neighboring countries, especially Poland, but Military crowds with the deployment of up to twenty thousand soldiers with planes and armored vehicles there,” surprising Poland’s need to deploy planes, helicopters and tanks there.
"This military build-up is carried out under the pretext of protecting the European Union from the invasion of immigrants from countries that have been bombed by Western countries led by the United States," Lukashenko added.
He pointed out that the officials of Poland and the European Union, instead of trying to find solutions in cooperation with Minsk to this crisis, are reducing cross-border cooperation projects and threatening to impose new sanctions against Belarus, building a five-meter-high wall on its border and closing it completely.
Lukashenko stressed that "the main thing for us now is to protect our country and people and prevent clashes.. I am aware that there are already attempts to deliver weapons to the temporary refugee camp with the implementation of provocations that may lead to a violent confrontation, and we will not allow that to happen."
Lukashenko confirmed yesterday that his country is not responsible for the border migrant crisis, adding that the European Union, which is threatening to adopt another package of sanctions against Belarus, is trying to intimidate it with sanctions, but it will defend itself and will respond to the sanctions.
