Russian President Vladimir Putin denied on Saturday (13) that Moscow had helped orchestrate a crisis that has left hundreds of Middle Eastern migrants stranded on the Belarus-Polish border.
“I want everyone to know. We have nothing to do with it,” the president declared in an interview with Vesti channel, after Poland and other Western countries accused Moscow of having orchestrated the sending of migrants to the border with Minsk.
The Russian president held Western countries responsible for the crisis, saying that his policies in the Middle East stimulate the desire of emigrants to travel to the European continent.
To resolve the crisis, Putin recommended that European leaders talk to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, as he said German Chancellor Angela Merkel was willing to do.
“We must not forget where the crises associated with immigrants come from […] they were created by Western countries themselves, including European ones”, he said.
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled the country after claiming victory in last year’s presidential elections, wrote on Twitter, referring to Lukashenko: “There can be no dialogue with the dictator who tries to blackmail democratic countries.”
Belarus says nearly 2,000 people – including women and children – remain in the border area. Poland, however, cites between 3,000 and 4,000 and claims that more migrants arrive every day.
– Tents and heaters –
The migrants, mostly Kurds, are stranded on the Polish-Belarus border in temperatures close to zero degrees. To face the cold, they wait in tents and burn wood.
The situation is increasingly worrying. Poland does not allow them to cross the border and accuses Belarus of preventing the group from leaving the region.
On Saturday, Belarusian authorities announced the handing over of tents and heaters to the blocked people, a measure that could prolong the presence of migrants at the borders of the European Union (EU).
For several months, migrants have been trying to cross the border, but the crisis was exacerbated on Monday when hundreds of people tried to enter Poland at the same time and were stopped by guards.
This Saturday, Polish police said they found the body of a young Syrian man in the forest near the border. “The causes of death have not yet been determined,” a statement said.
This death would raise to 11 the number of fatal victims of the migratory crisis, according to several NGOs.
The EU accuses Belarus of organizing the movement of migrants, issuing visas and even charter flights, with the aim of triggering a migration crisis in Europe, in response to international sanctions against Lukashenko’s government.
– New sanctions –
In fact, next week, the European bloc intends to increase sanctions.
European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro that the sanctions will be “approved and applied”.
He explained that the measures will be taken, among others, against the state-owned airline Belavia, which is accused of chartering flights for migrants from Turkey to Minsk.
On the other hand, the main foreign policy adviser to the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told AFP that “this crisis has nothing to do with Turkey”.
Syrian private airline Cham Wings Airlines announced Saturday that it was interrupting its flights to Minsk.
“Due to the difficult situation on the Belarus-Polish border, and because the majority of passengers on our flights to Minsk are Syrian citizens, we have decided to suspend our flights” to the Belarusian capital from this Saturday.
The company said it made this decision because it “cannot differentiate” between migrants and others, according to a statement.
Tension is mounting on the border and both countries have mobilized their troops. On Friday, Belarus warned that it would respond to any attack on its territory.
Despite pressure from the West, Lukashenko can count on Russian support. Air troops from both countries on Friday organized “combat exercises” near the Belarus-Polish border.
However, Moscow’s support for Minsk is often cautious. In an interview, Putin said he knew nothing about the threats made during the week by Lukashenko about cutting off Russian gas transit through Belarus to Europe.
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard this,” the Russian president said. “You never told me about it […] He could probably do it, but it wouldn’t be good.”
“Of course I’ll talk to him about it if he just didn’t say it out of irritation,” he added.
See too
+ Creator of the first real estate fund in Brazil tells everything about the investment
+ Fighter becomes unrecognizable after being kicked in the face
+ Amazon driver fired after woman caught driving out of backyard
+ The 20 best-selling pickup trucks in 2021
+ Video: Globo’s helicopter crash lands and loses tail; pilot prays after landing
+ Scientists discover causes of Alzheimer’s progression in the brain
+ Chef playmate creates aphrodisiac recipe for Orgasm Day
+ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter wins motorhome version
+ Anorexia, an eating disorder that can lead to death
+ US agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ Yasmin Brunet breaks the silence
+ Shark is captured in MA with the remains of youngsters missing in the stomach
+ See how much it costs to eat at the MasterChef judges’ restaurants
+ Auction of cars and motorcycles from Kombi to Nissan Frontier 0km
#Putin #Russia #crisis #PolishBelarus #border #ISTOÉ #MONEY