Why Poland is blaming Putin for latest crisis – ‘Russia are advancing’

Mateusz Morawiecki claimed: “This attack which Lukashenko is conducting has its mastermind in Moscow, the mastermind is President Putin.” Thousands of migrants are currently stuck at the border between the two countries in deathly conditions. Speaking in the country’s parliament, Mr Morawiecki said the “neo-imperialist politics of Russia are advancing.”

He continued: “This is the latest attack of [Belarusian leader Alexander] Lukashenko, who is an executor, but has an enabler, and this enabler is in Moscow, this enabler is President Putin, which shows a determination to carry out the scenario of rebuilding the Russian empire, the scenario that we, all Poles, have to forcefully oppose.”

“We’re convinced that the operations on Poland’s eastern border … are part of a bigger operation, part of a more coordinated attack, an attack that has the character of a new kind of war, in which people are used as living shields, and in which another weapon, known from other wars has been used … disinformation.”

Migrants stranded in freezing conditions have been attempting to cross the border into Poland from Belarus.

Poland and Belarus both confirmed on Tuesday that between 3,000 and 4,000 individuals were now living in an improvised camp at the border, near the Polish village of Kuznica.

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The Belarusian leader rebuffed the accusations made by EU member states this week.

He said: “We are not seeking a fight. I am not a madman, I understand perfectly well where it can lead.

“But we will not kneel.”

Backing Belarus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed the migration of people from the Middle East on Western military “adventures”.

He said: “Why, when it comes to refugees heading to the European Union from Turkey, did the EU provide funding to keep them on Turkish territory?

“Why can’t the Belarusians be helped in the same way?”