DISINFO: Belarus stopped protecting the border with Poland because of hostile Polish actions
SUMMARY
Why should Belarus continue protecting the border in the interest of a neighbour [Poland] who has been conducting hostile policy towards this country for years, interfering in its internal affairs and imposing sanctions on Belarus? Instead of foolish and derogatory offers of sending humanitarian aid to the Belarusians, maybe it is time to start talking to Belarus in a normal way? The Polish authorities should talk to the real Belarus, but not the Belarus they imagine. After all, we will not solve this problem [migration crisis] with Tsikhanouskaya.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus presenting Poland as a country with hostile and aggressive plans towards Belarus. This message also promotes a recurring disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis orchestrated by the Belarusian authorities.
The claims that Poland was involved in unfriendly actions towards Belarus or that it has some aggressive geopolitical plans towards this country are unfounded. Poland is a neighbour of Belarus and continues to support the Belarusian people. Poland respects the principles of international law and does not intervene in the domestic affairs of any country.
There is numerous evidence that the Belarusian authorities have taken a direct part in the organisation of the ongoing “migration crisis” in Lithuania. Lukashenka’s regime is using refugees from Middle Eastern countries as a “political and hybrid” weapon against Lithuania and the entire EU.
In 2021, Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia faced an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus (most are citizens of third countries: Iraq, Syria, African countries etc.). Earlier, Belarus ended cooperation with the EU to stem irregular migration. This was Minsk’s answer to the European Union's sanctions on the political regime of Belarus (read more about sanctions here).
It is known that some of the irregular migrants arrive in Belarus by commercial flights from Baghdad-Minsk. Information also suggests that migrants are routinely transported by bus to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. Given the high level of control in the Belarus society, such traffic can not take place without the agreement of the Belarus authorities. Read more details about Lukashenka’s role in the organisation of the current migration crisis here and here.
See other disinformation cases concerning the ongoing migration crisis on the Belarusian border: Lithuanian border guards use violence against migrants, including abandoning pregnant women; Migrants in Lithuania are kept in concentration camps in unsanitary conditions and The West plans to push thousands of illegal migrants to Belarus using force.