The UK overseas secretary has referred to as on Vladimir Putin to intervene within the “shameful manufactured migrant disaster” ongoing on the border of Belarus and Poland.
Writing within the Sunday Telegraph, the overseas secretary insisted that the UK “is not going to look away” as she urged Russia of its “clear duty” to finish the dispute involving hundreds of migrants and Polish troops.
“Russia has a transparent duty right here. It should press the Belarusian authorities to finish the disaster and enter into dialogue,” Ms Truss wrote.
It comes as Mr Putin warned Belarus over its threats to disrupt fuel provides to the EU amid the migrant disaster. In a TV interview on Saturday, Mr Putin mentioned President Alexander Lukashenko could have made the risk in a match of mood, including that disruption to EU fuel provides would put Belarus in breach of a contract with Russia.
“After all, in concept, Lukashenko as president of a transit nation might order our provides to be reduce to Europe. However this is able to imply a breach of our fuel transit contract and I hope this is not going to occur,” he instructed Rossiya tv.
The EU has accused Mr Lukashenko of encouraging unlawful border crossings as a “hybrid assault” to retaliate in opposition to the bloc’s sanctions on his authorities for its crackdown on home protests after his disputed 2020 re-election.
In response, the Belarusian defence ministry accused Poland of “unprecedented” army build-up on the border. Belarus denies the allegations however says it would not cease refugees and migrants from making an attempt to enter the EU.
Mr Lukashenko warned the EU that Belarus was “heating” the bloc, and threatened to disrupt fuel provides by way of main Russian-owned pipelines that traverse the nation.
Russia and Belarus have a union settlement envisaging shut political and army ties. Ms Truss added the stand-off “marks the newest step by the Lukashenko regime to undermine regional safety.”
“He’s utilizing determined migrants as pawns in his bid to create instability and cling on to energy, whatever the human price,” she wrote. “The UK is not going to look away. We are going to stand with our allies within the area, who’re on the frontier of freedom.”
Police confirmed that the physique of a younger Syrian man was discovered on Friday in Polish woodland close to the nation’s border with Belarus amid the deteriorating humanitarian state of affairs.
A small staff of British armed forces personnel has been deployed to Poland amid rising pressure on the border. The Ministry of Defence mentioned on Thursday a “small staff” was deployed to the realm to supply “engineering assist”.