Warsaw: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday called the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border, the End East border, “the greatest effort to disrupt Europe” since the Cold War.
Then Sunday the head of the Polish government will meet with his colleagues from Baltic countries – two of which also share borders with Belarus – to discuss conflict, before visiting the other EU capital this week.
Belarusian President Alexander “Lukashenko launched a hybrid war against the EU.
This is the biggest effort to disrupt Europe in 30 years,” Morawiecki said on Twitter.
“Poland will not give up on extortion and will do everything to maintain the EU border.” The West accused Belarus artificially creating a crisis by bringing prospective migrants – most of the Middle East – and bring them to the border with promises that are easy to cross to the European Union.
Belarus denied that claim, instead of criticizing the EU because it did not take migrants.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the BBC on Friday that it was “very possible” his troops had helped people cross to the EU but denied managing operations.
“We are Slavia.
We have hearts.
Our troops know migrants go to Germany …
maybe someone helps them,” he said.
“But I didn’t invite them here.” Even though there were a few fewer crisis signs, on Sunday the Polish border guards reported a new trial intersection, including by “a very aggressive group of around 100” migrants.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Saturday that Belarus has now changed tactics by directing smaller migrant groups to various points along the border.
The migrants had left everything in their country, spending thousands of dollars to fly to Belarus on a tourist visa, determined to reach the European Union.
Polish media said at least 11 migrants had died because the crisis began during the summer.