Russian President Vladimir Putin is promising rhetoric in support of Belarus so that the European Union (EU) and the United States do not go as far as Ukraine, said Sandra Kalniete (JV), a member of the European Parliament.
According to Kalniete, Belarus is Russia’s last great ally and Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’s authoritarian leader, is highly dependent on Putin. While the Russian president will still need him, Lukashenko will also be the leader of Belarus.
Commenting on the agreements signed between Russia and Belarus on closer integration of the two countries, the politician pointed out that their content is not yet publicly available, it is known that the leaders of both countries have agreed on the content of 28 programs. However, it is clear that Belarus’ national independence has declined significantly and that it has become an “autonomous” region of Russia.
“If we talk about the creation of a united union between Russia and Belarus, of course, it poses increased security risks. If the 28 programs that have been agreed also include military command and control systems, then their centralization significantly increases the risks,” he said. Mountaineer.
Last week, German Interior Minister Horst Zehofer called on the EU to take action and help stop the flow of migrants entering Poland illegally from Belarus. Asked if the German call could change the position of the President of the European Commission (EC) Urzula von der Leien that Brussels would not allocate funds for the construction of the fence and the bloc’s external borders, the politician said that sooner or later the issue of funding would be reconsidered.
“I think Leiena understands that the border needs to be built, but she wants to follow the political correctness of the rhetoric. The fact that the German interior minister has said this means that the decision-making architecture is gradually being built. I’m sure funding will be provided. , it is difficult to say because the decision – making process is relatively slow, “said the MEP.
Speaking about whether NATO’s position on this issue is sufficient, Kalniete emphasized that NATO is first and foremost an alliance and that any decision on such an important issue concerning what is happening on the Polish-Belarusian border cannot be made, for example, by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“It must be a position adopted by NATO members. I think the reason for NATO’s cautious response is that the Alliance cannot afford to give any excuse for the situation to escalate,” he said.
Asked what she thought Belarus was trying to achieve with the hybrid attack, Kalniete admitted that this was partly due to revenge on the EU for its support for the Belarusian opposition, but it was also an EU blackmail attempt to negotiate with the regime. She noted that, according to Polish intelligence, Belarus is guided by a hybrid strategy developed by Russia in the past.
“These are not just emotions, but decisions with very concrete consequences. The EU is currently facing a number of crises, such as Covid-19 and the energy crisis. This means that part of the EU’s attention and resources must be devoted to tackling border and illegal migration from the east. an issue that escalates dangerously with each passing day, “said the politician.
The MEP also pointed out that what was happening on the Belarusian border was dividing Europe, because on the one hand there were people who thought that it should not be done and asylum should be given to anyone who asked for it, but on the other hand the security services had enough information to know. that this is one of the ways in which terrorists enter Europe.
“It is the EU’s decision to open its borders, it will not be determined by the dictator. The EU’s task is to protect the Schengen and EU border,” she emphasized.
It has already been reported that in the framework of the extended hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime, attempts have been made in recent months to send thousands of illegal immigrants from Belarus to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, most of whom have arrived in Belarus as tourists from Iraq.
The EU has accused the Minsk regime of seeking to avenge support for the Belarusian opposition and of sanctions against Belarus in response to last year’s violent crackdown on protests.
Addressing his country’s parliament on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Matthew Moravecki accused the Russian president of being the true curator of the migrant crisis in Belarus.
“The leader of this attack by Lukashenko is in the person of President Putin in Moscow,” the Polish prime minister said in an extraordinary session of the Polish parliament.
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