The Polish Interior Minister, Mariusz Kamiński has disclosed that Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a “critical incident” involving Wagner mercenaries occurs.
This came as the Interior Ministers of Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania addressed the media after their discusions on joint ways of reacting to the increasingly difficult situation on their borders with Belarus and Russia.
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Wagner mercenaries arrived Belarus at the invitation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, following their brief mutiny in Russia on June 24, 2023.
“If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. All border crossings that have been opened so far will be closed,” Kamiński said.
Meanwhile, Lithuanian Interior Minister, Agne Bilotaite told reporters that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure.
“First of all, an armed incident at the border of one of the countries. The incident would need to pose serious threat to national security,” she said.
“The other criterion is a mass breakthrough of migrants through the border of one of the states,” she added.
Bilotaite revealed that Lithuania’s interior ministry will propose closing two out of the country’s four remaining border crossing points with Belarus to the government.
The planned border points are Lavarishki (Katlovka on the Belarusian side) and Raigardas (Privalka), which would only leave the Salechniki (from the Belarusian side Benyakoni) and Medniki (Kamenny Log) crossings open.
Bilotaite was quoted as saying that the new closures should be decided on in the “near future” and are needed to concentrate officers at border points.
On August 16, 2023, the Lithuanian government announced the closure of two other crossing points, cutting the number from six to four, blaming “geopolitical circumstances” weeks after Russian Wagner mercenaries took refuge in Belarus.
Neighbouring Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus.
Poland closed all of its crossings with Belarus, except one, earlier this year in response to the expulsion of several Polish diplomats from Minsk, as well as the sentencing of journalist, Andrzej Poczobut by a Belarusian court to eight years in prison on charges of encouraging actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus, trying to rehabilitate Nazism, and inciting ethnic hostility.
Poland claims the charges are unjust and politically motivated.
Ministers Demand Removal Of Wagner Mercenaries And Migrants
In a joint statement, the Interior Ministers demanded that the government of Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko remove, with immediate effect, the Wagner Group mercenaries from its territory.
They also demanded the removal of migrants from border areas and their return to their home countries.
Stressing that the situation around the Belarus border is what brought them together for the meeting, Polish Interior Minister, Mariusz Kamiński said, “This situation is escalating. For several months, we have been dealing with attempts by migrants to illegally cross.”
The paramilitary Wagner Group’s presence in Belarus has aggravated the situation, Kaminski noted.
Poland has seen an increase in the number of mainly Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to cross the border in recent months.
The four countries support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
