Russia blames EU for migrant crisis in Belarus

The Russian government has blamed the European Union (EU) for the alleged influx of migrants at the border between Belarus and Poland, Reuters reported.

Migrants from the Middle East including Africa and Afghanistan tried to cross over into Poland overnight. Russia, in an attempt to back its Belarusian parter, sent over two bombers to patrol Belarus’s airspace, according to the wire service. 

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint news conference with the Belarusian foreign minister that he hoped Europeans would “not allow themselves to be drawn into a spiral that is fairly dangerous,” according to Reuters.  

Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei added that both countries have been supporting one another due to “unfriendly activity against our countries.”

“It is apparent that a humanitarian catastrophe is looming against the background of Europeans’ reluctance to demonstrate commitment to their European values,” Russia’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a media briefing, according to Reuters. 

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed Tuesday that the crisis has been fabricated by Moscow.

The EU has also claimed that the issue of a migrant crisis has been made up by Belarus over sanctions imposed by Europeans over the Belarusian elections and human rights issues, according to Reuters. 

Russia’s financial backing has helped Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko move past mass protests against his rule in 2020 after a disputed election, Reuters reported.