Belarus chief warns on NATO troops in Ukraine, migrant ‘disaster’ By Reuters

KYIV (Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned on Monday of a joint response with Russia to navy workouts involving troops from NATO member international locations in neighbouring Ukraine.

Lukashenko, who gave no particulars of the response, additionally blamed the West for what he stated was a looming humanitarian disaster this winter after migrants have been left stranded and freezing on the Belarusian-Polish border.

Ukraine will not be a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation however has lengthy sought nearer integration with Western militaries within the hope of in the future becoming a member of the alliance, a transfer opposed by Belarus’ fundamental ally, Russia.

Ukraine started joint navy workouts with U.S. and different NATO member troops final week, whereas Russia and Belarus held large-scale drills that alarmed the West.

Lukashenko stated he had mentioned the scenario in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin a number of occasions, and the Kremlin stated on Monday that enlargement of NATO navy infrastructure in Ukraine crossed a pink line for Putin.

“You see, they’re dragging NATO troops there, to Ukraine. Below the guise of coaching centres, they’re truly creating bases. The US is creating bases in Ukraine. It’s clear that we have to react to this,” Lukashenko stated at a gathering with officers within the presidential palace in Minsk.

“The Russian president and I’ve held and are holding consultations on this difficulty and have agreed that some motion needs to be taken there. In any other case, tomorrow we may have an unacceptable scenario proper on the border between Belarus and Russia.”

Relations between Belarus and the West have deteriorated since Lukashenko cracked down on mass protests following a disputed election in August 2020, triggering U.S., European Union and British sanctions however help from Moscow.

Belarus and its EU neighbours have additionally traded blame over the plight of migrants. The EU has accused Minsk of encouraging migrants, primarily from Iraq and Afghanistan, to cross the borders in retaliation for the sanctions.

Three migrants died on the Polish facet of the border and yet one more simply inside Belarus this month. A fifth loss of life – of an Iraqi man on Poland’s facet of the border, from a suspected coronary heart assault, was reported on Friday.

Lukashenko stated Belarus had handled the migrants properly.

“Sure, we dressed them, we introduced them some firewood and a few shawls. However they’d freeze in winter,” Lukashenko stated.

“In brief: it is a humanitarian disaster on the border.”