“Hybrid Attack” by Lukashenko Regime: Four EU Countries Issue Joint Statement

Poland has started building a wall on the border with Belarus.

On August 23, the heads of government of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement about a “hybrid attack” by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, which is using illegal migrants for this purpose. 

We bring you the latest news on what is happening on the borders of Belarus and EU countries, as well as on the wall that Poland is beginning to build. 

Statement by Four EU Countries

The joint statement says that the flow of illegal migrants is “planned and systematically organized by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime” and constitutes a “hybrid attack” on the European Union. 

Prime Ministers Kaja Kallas, Krišjānis Kariņš, Ingrida Šimonytė and Mateusz Morawiecki ask the UN and the UN Security Council to consider this issue. 

According to the prime ministers, their countries will accept all refugees crossing the borders. However, they called on the EU to consider introducing new restrictive measures to prevent illegal migration in the future. 

The heads of government noted: “The use of refugees and immigrants as a weapon threatens the regional security of the European Union and is a serious violation of human rights.” 

Construction of a Wall on the Poland-Belarus Border

Poland’s Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak said that the country will install a 2.5-meter-high wall on the border with Belarus. He did not specify the timeline for the project. 

In early August, Poland decided to strengthen border security with Belarus. In 2021, Polish border guards detained 871 migrants who illegally crossed the Belarus-Poland border. This is more than seven times the 122 illegal migrants detained in all of 2020. 

Back in early July, Lithuanian authorities decided to build a wall on the border with Belarus due to the increased flow of migrants. The country declared a state of emergency over the influx of illegal migrants. Among those detained on the border with Belarus, most were illegal migrants from Iraq. 

Citizens of Iran, Syria, Belarus, Russia, Guinea, Turkey, Sri Lanka and other countries were also detained. Lukashenko explained the migration crisis by saying that Belarus does not have the funds to support migrants. 

“Beating of Migrants” by Lithuanian Border Guards

Belarus has repeatedly accused Lithuania of “beating migrants” and of cruel treatment of pregnant women, who, as it later turned out, were faking loss of consciousness. 

Lithuania discovered a special site on the border for “filming episodes of Lithuanian border guards beating illegal migrants.” The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service published a video of one of these “dramas.” 

“Are you ready for a movie on Wednesday? If so, we are sharing a video that shows an unsuccessful provocation by Belarusian border guards. Four violators slowly penetrate the territory of Lithuania. As the video shows, they are in no hurry and are not afraid, as if they are waiting for someone. As soon as Lithuanian border guards appear, the provocateurs return to Belarus and the show begins: Belarusian border guards immediately start filming the “quartet.” The offenders emotionally recount how they were beaten and injured by Lithuanian border guards. After filming this completely fake drama, both the actors and the directors disappear into the darkness of the Belarusian forests,” the border guards reported.