Europeans are alarmed by the migration crisis organized by Belarus

There is great concern in Brussels about the deteriorating situation on the border with Belarus, where at least 2,000 migrants are trapped by the authoritarian regime in Minsk. In retaliation for the European sanctions imposed against the repression carried out in the country, Minsk has been orchestrating these arrivals for several weeks. The migrants, mainly from the Middle East, hope to reach the territory of the European Union (EU) through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

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This situation described as “A hybrid attack” against the EU, with migration as a weapon, could lead to military escalation, some leaders fear. “The risk is very high”, Judge thus, Wednesday 10 November, the Estonian Minister of Defense, Kalle Laanet. At the end of a closed meeting of the Security Council on Thursday evening, its European and American members for their part condemned a “Orchestrated instrumentalization of human beings” in order to “Destabilize the external border of the European Union”.

Two Russian bombers carried out exercises over Belarusian territory on Thursday. The day before, planes had flown over the border area between Belarus and Poland. A “Response to massive deployment” armed Polish guards on the Polish-Belarusian border, according to the deputy Russian ambassador to the UN. Warsaw deployed 15,000 troops, erected a fence topped with barbed wire, and approved the construction of a border wall. Ukraine, for its part, announced Thursday the dispatch of 8,500 soldiers and police to its border with Belarus. European diplomats are also worried about seeing Russian troops again massed on the border with Ukraine.

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In the immediate future, the EU is preparing a new set of sanctions, the fifth, against Belarus. It should be ratified on Monday, November 15 by the foreign ministers. Then the defense ministers will discuss this issue, which “Is not a war, but a serious crisis, an attempt to militarize the issue of migration”, explained, Wednesday, to MEPs, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell.

An “inhuman” instrumentalization

In this context of heightened tensions, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened on Thursday to “ to cut ” natural gas deliveries while 35% of Russian gas consumed in Europe passes through the Yamal-Europe pipeline. Friday November 12, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing the German carrier Gascade and the Ukrainian operator GTS, the throughput of the Yamal gas pipeline is said to be declining “Around 40%” compared to the previous day, ie “nearly 450,000 m3 per hour “. In Brussels, however, international obligations are invoked that are difficult to circumvent by operators. On Thursday, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei apparently wanted to calm things down by indicating that his country was “Favorable to a resolution of the crisis as soon as possible”.

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