Poland sees no let-up in Belarus border tensions, says PM

Road sign reading ‘Area in state of emergency’ after declaring state of emergency on Belarus border amid migrant surge is seen in Krynki, Poland September 3, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS)

Parliament is expected to formally approve the state of emergency – the first order of its kind since Poland’s communist days – later on Monday.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on all parties to back the measures which ban mass gatherings and limit people’s movements in a 3-km (2-mile) deep strip of land along the frontier for 30 days.

“We do not expect a decrease in tensions on the eastern border because in a few days the biggest military exercises in
40 years will start, ‘Zapad-2021’,” he told a news conference.

“We know that the Belarusian services provide migrants with food and help them at the border in their attempts to reach Poland illegally,” he said.

Officials had arrested people suspected of working for the Belarusian state, he added.Poland and the European Union have accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging hundreds of migrants to cross into Polish territory to put pressure on the
bloc over sanctions it has imposed on Minsk.Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei last week dismissed the accusations and blamed “Western politicians” for the situation on the border.Poland has also said it could face “provocations” during the “Zapad” or West military exercises.

The main phase is due to start on Sept. 10.Russia, which will join forces with Belarusian troops for the drills , says it is within its rights to exercise on its territory and is clear about the numbers involved.

Curated For You

US travel ban on 39 countries comes into effect on January 1, 2026: A full list

Shark Tank judge invested Rs 5,600 at 21, 10 years later she holds a net worth of Rs 420 cr

Video of woman constable being stripped during violent Chhattisgarh anti-mining protest sparks outrage, 2 arrested