US Secretary of State Blinken: "Lukashenko is trying to use migrants to distract from Russia's military exercises near Ukraine's borders". EU approves new sanctions package against Lukashenko regime

Meanwhile, Poland and Lithuania are discussing triggering Article 4 of the NATO treaty.

The global reaction to the actions of self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in creating a migration crisis on the border with Poland and Lithuania is growing.

The European Union has approved a new package of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities, while many politicians are beginning to agree on the obvious: Lukashenko is acting on direct orders from the Kremlin regime.

Thus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Lukashenko is using migrants as a means of distraction from Russia's military exercises near Ukraine's borders.

Blinken's statement

Blinken, during a conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, outlined the reasons behind Lukashenko's actions.

Blinken and Rau condemned the use of migrants and called on Lukashenko to eliminate the root causes of the sanctions imposed by the West: violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Belarusian people.

EU sanctions against Belarus

Foreign ministers of the European Union approved criteria for new sanctions to be imposed on individuals and organizations linked to the creation of a migration crisis on the Belarus-Poland border.

Rikard Jozwiak
Radio Free Europe correspondent in Brussels

EU foreign ministers officially adopted new sanctions criteria against Belarus. Today they will also give political consent to introducing additional sanctions, but the actual list of citizens and organizations will not be ready today.

Earlier, media reported that Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei and the Belarusian airline Belavia, as well as the country's main airport, could fall under sanctions.

The EU is also considering a sixth sanctions package, which could include an order for EU companies to stop supplies to Minsk National Airport, two diplomats said.

NATO Article 4

Due to the escalation of the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border, Poland is discussing with Latvia and Lithuania the possibility of invoking Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced this.

"We are discussing with Latvia, and especially with Lithuania, whether to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty," Morawiecki said.

Under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, any NATO member may request consultations with other allies when, in the opinion of any of the parties, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened.

Morawiecki also said that the EU will discuss further sanctions against the Lukashenko regime, in particular a complete closure of the border.

Mateusz Morawiecki
Prime Minister of Poland

The Polish border will become an effective and final barrier to Lukashenko's actions. There is no doubt that things have gone too far. We already know that words alone are not enough to stop the Belarusian regime. We understand that stronger sanctions will be required.

Invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty was last used in March 2014 over the situation in Ukraine, also at Poland's request.