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Prime Minister on a visit to the Baltic States: we are facing a new type of war on the eastern border of the EU, so our response should be one of solidarity

21.11.2021

The international crisis caused by the actions of Alexander Lukashenko makes the geopolitical situation very serious and requires numerous actions and diplomatic efforts by the Polish government. Therefore, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, where he held talks with the prime ministers of these countries. The talks concerned the current situation on the borders with Belarus and coordination of joint actions of the European Union countries. The Prime Minister emphasised that this is not only a conflict with Poland. It is an attempt to violate the eastern border of NATO and the EU. This is the first in a series of meetings between the Prime Minister and European leaders.

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The EU and the countries of the transatlantic alliance should develop effective mechanisms of cooperation in the face of further attacks and provocations

Since June 2021, the Belarusian regime has been waging a hybrid war against the European Union. Illegal migration supported by the Belarusian services is intended to destabilise the political situation as well as threaten the security of Poland and the European Union. Attempts to violate the territorial integrity of EU states and provocations by Belarusian services have intensified in recent weeks. The Prime Minister pointed out that as the EU and the countries of the transatlantic alliance, we must be prepared for potential threats as well as develop efficient and effective mechanisms of cooperation in the face of further attacks and provocations.

He added that the diplomatic actions undertaken by Poland so far have been successful. “Already today, far fewer migrants reach Belarus from Turkey and Iraq. We also fight against people smugglers, who are used by Lukashenko to strengthen the pressure on our border," he continued. He also stressed that Poland is ready to finance the return of migrants to their country of origin at any time.

Prime Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia emphasised their solidarity with Poland

„Estonia's security starts at the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. We are very grateful to Poland for defending these borders," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, thanking Poland for protecting the external borders of the EU and NATO. She also assured of the readiness to support Poland in activities aimed at protecting the borders. On 19 November, the Estonian Defence Ministry announced that the Estonian Armed Forces will send 100 soldiers to Poland to counter hybrid aggression. Arrangements are underway to operationalise this support.

The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrid Šimonytė, stressed that Poland and Lithuania cooperate closely on issues related to the hybrid attack on the eastern border of the European Union. “Today, the greatest burden of the hybrid attack taking place on the eastern border of the European Union falls on Poland," said the Prime Minister, emphasising her solidarity with Poland. As she pointed out, we must not give in to the propaganda and images promoted by it that these are merely  bilateral misunderstandings between Poland and Belarus.
Latvian Prime Minister Artursa Krišjānisa Kariņša indicated that today's visits of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are extremely important. They underline the common position of the Baltic countries and will lead to even better coordination of activities. As he stressed after the meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Europe has become more united due to the crisis on the border with Belarus.

The migrant crisis is only part of a major political crisis

“Today, we are facing a hybrid war on our eastern border in which migrants and disinformation are the weapons,” said the Prime Minister in Tallinn. Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin's hybrid war against the EU is underway. It is the greatest attempt to destabilise the Community in 30 years. Poland will not yield to blackmail and will do everything to defend the EU borders, with the support of our allies.

Intensive actions initiated in the East are visible. These include cyber-attacks or manipulation of gas prices and supplies, aimed at creating an energy crisis. Russia has also gained a new tool for  blackmail – the planned launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

More recently, this has also included the organisation of migration activities that led to the Polish-Belarusian border crisis. There are numerous indications that this geopolitical crisis will continue for many months or even years. The fact that some actions have been partially withheld does not mean that Moscow's planned attacks have ended. We must learn from Russia's actions in Georgia, Crimea or eastern Ukraine. The information received by our country and our allies is disturbing. “The migration crisis is merely a part of the great political crisis," emphasised Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

The head of the Polish government also pointed to Russia's growing military involvement around Ukraine. “We know from various sources that well-armed Russian troops, national guard troops, are gathering around Ukraine. This means growing pressure on our neighbour.”

For more information on the current situation on the Polish-Belarusian border and international support, please go to: www.gov.pl/border

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