Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if ‘critical incident’ occurs: Minister
Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a “critical incident” involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Monday.
EU members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko, Reuters reported.
They have called Lukashenko to expel Russian mercenaries from his country and agreed on a plan to potentially shut the border in response to escalating tension, AFP reported.
Poland has also seen an increase in the number of mainly Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to cross the border in recent months and has accused Belarus of facilitating them.
“We demand from the authorities in Minsk that the Wagner Group immediately leave the territory of Belarus and that illegal migrants immediately leave the border area and are sent back to their home countries,” Kaminski told a press conference.
“If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. All border crossings that have been opened so far will be closed,” he said.