Migrant crisis: EU agrees on new sanctions against Belarus
At the Poland-Belarus border near Kuznica, Poland, November 15, 2021. AP - Leonid Shcheglov
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
On the border between Poland and Belarus, thousands of migrants are still massed to try to cross.
This Monday, November 15, the European Union has just voted for new sanctions against Belarus and against people and organizations contributing to the influx of thousands of migrants to the Polish border.
Advertising
Read more
The European Union will adopt "
in the coming days
" new sanctions against people and organizations contributing to the influx of thousands of migrants to the Polish border, orchestrated according to Westerners by Belarus, announced on Monday the head of the EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell. “
We have agreed on the adoption of a new set of sanctions [...]. It will be finalized in the coming days,
”he said after a meeting of the 27 foreign ministers in Brussels. These sanctions will affect "
a significant number of people
And entities, he insisted, without specifying their number or identity.
A list of people and entities affected by an asset freeze and travel bans is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
The sanctions list is unlikely to include Russian airline Aeroflot, although Poland and Lithuania hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for the border crisis.
“
Putin is leading this crisis politically with Lukashenko, that's for sure,
” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters.
Minsk is "
actively
" working to bring migrants stuck at the border back to their countries, for his part assured Belarusian President Alexander Loukachenko, in power for 30 years.
►
See also: Migrant crisis: the EU is preparing sanctions against Belarus
Still, at the border with Belarus, the situation is difficult and deteriorating.
The three Baltic presidents therefore all agree to support Poland, if it wanted to launch the consultations provided for by article 4 of the NATO treaty in the event of a threat to the security of one of the members, explains our correspondent. in Vilnius,
Marielle Vitureau
.
To protect itself, Lithuania last week declared a state of emergency along its border with Belarus.
If the responsibility for this migratory pressure lies with the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko, which is thus seeking revenge on European sanctions, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda also designates Russia.
Overhaul of European policy on migration
Faced with the ever-increasing number of migrants arriving through Moscow, Russia is carrying out military demonstrations of force.
In other words, the military integration of Belarus by Russia is a fait accompli.
To push this threat back to the gates of Europe, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are also calling for an overhaul of European policy on migration and for the financing by the Union of the construction of barriers along the borders.
On the side of NATO in any case the concerns are more and more palpable, notes our correspondent in Brussels,
Pierre Benazet
.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO did not hide his concern: “
We do not see any imminent threat of military aggression against a NATO country.
But we see a very difficult situation on the border of an Alliance member state - Poland - and Belarus.
And we see similar situations in Lithuania and Latvia, at least we have seen them on the border of these two countries with [Belarus] Russia.
And of course we are united - alongside these NATO countries.
We condemn what the Lukashenko regime is doing, using vulnerable migrants, including children and families, to lead hybrid actions against NATO countries.
"
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Belarus
Poland
Lithuania
Alexander Lukashenko
European Union
Russia
Latvia
Estonia