Telephone call with dictator: Merkel sharply criticized - "Lukashenko has achieved what he wanted"

Angela Merkel spoke to Alexander Lukashenko on the phone in an effort to de-escalate the Belarus crisis.

The reactions are sometimes violent.

Minsk / Berlin - The tense situation on the Belarusian-Polish border reportedly escalated into tangible violence on Tuesday: According to the two states, migrants threw stones at the Polish forces.

Poland used tear gas and water cannons.

The country accused Belarus of having equipped refugees with blast grenades, and Belarus claimed to have heard shots in the direction of its own national territory.

The author of the dramatic situation is probably the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko: He is said to have brought migrants into the country and brought them to the EU's external border - for political reasons.

Parts of the calculation now seem to be working for the regime in Minsk.

The reason for a corresponding expert assessment is, of all things, a phone call between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Lukashenko.

The Greens, among others, were appalled.

Belarus conflict: Chancellor Merkel under fire - "Lukashenko has achieved what he wanted."

Belarusian political scientist Valery Karbelevich said after the phone call that Lukashenko was practically recognized again as president.

"Lukashenko achieved what he wanted." It was a success for the system that the EU and Merkel had sought talks with the power apparatus.

In fact, the authoritarian head of government has already announced a second meeting with Merkel - after the chancellor's planned talks at EU level.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert also announced that the exchange should continue.

The EU no longer recognizes Lukashenko as president because of the actions of the security forces against peaceful demonstrators after the manipulated 2020 election.

The interpretations of the Chancellor's approach diverged widely on Tuesday.

At home and abroad.

The foreign policy spokesman for the Greens in the Bundestag, Omid Nouripour, sharply criticized Merkel for her phone call with Lukashenko.

He thinks it is "devastating that Ms. Merkel spoke to him on the phone," said Nouripour on Tuesday on Deutschlandfunk.

Merkel and Belarus: Greens raise allegations - Dobrindt defends Chancellor

Nouripour, who is also considered a possible new leader of the Greens, said: “There is a very clear policy, agreed in the European Council, that Lukashenko is not recognized, the legitimate president of Belarus is not - and Ms. Merkel completely thwarted that yesterday . “With the phone call, Merkel made a contribution to the recognition and legitimation of Lukashenko's election, according to Nouripour's accusation. “The few people who are now standing in the cold are not the problem. The problem is the blackmail attempt. "

CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt defended Merkel. It is "necessary to seek diplomacy, especially in times of crisis," said Dobrindt on Tuesday in Berlin. Without knowing it, he assumed that Merkel "also clearly showed Lukashenko the possible consequences of his actions in this telephone conversation". That is the point of such a conversation.

Skepticism was also heard from Poland.

"You have to consider that internationalization is certainly necessary, but not in such a way that you talk over our heads, and such proposals are made," said Vice Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski on Polish public radio.

If international efforts fail, Poland will have to reckon with a deepening of the crisis and "even greater audacity on the part of our opponents," said Kaczynski.

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