Poland, Baltic states warn they could seal border with Belarus if military, migrant tensions grow
NATO members Poland and the Baltic states say they will seal off their borders with Russia’s ally Belarus if there are any military incidents or a massive migrant push by Minsk
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NATO members Poland and the Baltic states will seal off their borders with Russia’s ally Belarus in the event of any military incidents or a massive migrant push by Minsk, the interior ministers warned Monday.
The ministers said they were seeing growing tensions on NATO's and the European Union's borders with Belarus, which has taken in thousands of Russia's military mercenaries and is pushing Middle East and African migrants into Europe, despite barriers having been put up.
They warned of swift and concerted reaction in the case of a military incident or large migrant push.
The ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia addressed the media following their talks. In a joint statement they demanded that the government of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko immediately remove from its territory the Wagner Group mercenaries. They also demanded the removal of migrants from border areas and their return to their home countries.
The four countries, which are also European Union members, s upport Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The sudden death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash in Russia last week has raised questions about the future of the Wagner group, which Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski branded as “extremely dangerous” and “demoralized.” He also said the mercenaries pose a threat to the citizens of Belarus and the entire region.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Wagner fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state, according to a decree published on the Kremlin’s website late Friday and effective immediately.
The ministers held talks about joint ways of reacting to the increasingly difficult situation on their borders with Belarus and Russia.