"To aggravate the situation as much as possible": why Lithuania opposed the dialogue with Belarus on the migration crisis

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Landsbergis called the dialogue with Belarus on the settlement of the migration crisis dangerous.

This is how the Lithuanian minister commented on the telephone conversations between the Acting Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel and the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

“De facto negotiations are already underway.

This is a dangerous path, because, while negotiating, you are on the same page and speak in legal language, ”TASS quoted him as saying.

According to Landsbergis, the threat of such contacts is that Belarus may neglect the agreements reached.

"Dictators, authoritarian rulers are known for not adhering to the rule of law and not abiding by agreements," Landsbergis added.

Earlier, on November 17, Merkel had the second telephone conversation in a week with Lukashenko, the parties discussed, among other things, the settlement of the migration crisis.

Prior to this, the Belarusian media reported that during the first conversation with the Acting Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, the President proposed solutions to the migration problem on the Belarusian-Polish border.

As the press secretary of the Belarusian leader Natalya Eismont clarified, the mechanism for resolving the migration crisis, which he proposed in a conversation with Merkel, is to create a "humanitarian corridor for 2,000 refugees who are in the camp" by the European Union.

“We undertake to assist ... the remaining 5 thousand to return to their homeland,” Eismont quoted BelTA as saying.

It should be noted that Poland, bordering on Belarus, which also found itself in the epicenter of the migration crisis, like Lithuania, does not support the idea of ​​a direct dialogue with Minsk.

Instead of establishing contacts with the Belarusian authorities, Warsaw calls for the introduction of sanctions against the republic, and also believes that in the current situation the North Atlantic Alliance should begin to operate.

This statement was made on November 14 by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

He admitted that the Polish side, together with Riga and Vilnius, could request the application of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

This norm provides for the organization of consultations by NATO members if, in the opinion of one of the parties, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the allies in the bloc are under threat.

• Migrants at the Belarusian-Polish border

• RIA News

• © Victor Tolochko

The Russian Foreign Ministry called such intentions of Warsaw provocative and dangerous.

"This could lead to an unnecessary escalation of the situation," said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Situation at the border

Let us remind you that on November 8 Warsaw, Vilnius and Minsk reported that the situation at the border had worsened due to the influx of illegal migrants who arrived from the Belarusian territory.

Poland and Lithuania sent troops to contain refugees trying to infiltrate the Polish side.

The states of the European Union accused Belarus of deliberately provoking the migration crisis.

This, in particular, is stated in the joint statement of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, published by the Latvian Ministry of Defense on November 11.

The actions of Minsk in the document are called a serious threat to the security of Europe.

“Large groups of people are pulled together and brought to the border zone, where they are then forced to illegally cross the border.

This increases the likelihood of provocations and serious incidents that can turn into a military plane, ”the statement says.

The current situation is described there as "the most difficult security crisis in many years" for the region, NATO and the EU.

Later, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell wrote on his Twitter page about "the unacceptable instrumentalization of people by the Lukashenka regime on the borders of the European Union."

Spoke to @RauZbigniew and @GLandsbergis this evening about the unacceptable instrumentalisation of people by the Lukashenko regime at the borders of the European Union.

We will discuss next steps at the #FAC on Monday.

- Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) November 13, 2021

However, the President of Belarus denies this kind of accusation.

He stressed that the Western states are to blame for the situation around illegal immigrants, as a result of which the citizens of a number of countries have become refugees.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted, in turn, the West is using the migration crisis to put pressure on Minsk.

“One cannot but see that Western countries are using the migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border as a new reason for tension in the region close to us, for pressure on Minsk,” the Russian leader said at an expanded meeting of the Foreign Ministry collegium on November 18.

At the same time, Putin stressed, the West forgets about its own obligations in the humanitarian sphere.

"Tool of political pressure"

According to experts, Lithuania, which does not want to establish contacts with Belarus on the migration issue, is not interested in the border crisis being resolved.

“Vilnius benefits from the continuation of tense relations between Minsk and Brussels, as well as the overall situation around migrants, which the Baltic republic uses as an instrument of political pressure on the Belarusian authorities.

Therefore, any constructive attempts to seek a solution to this crisis or compromises are not suitable for the Lithuanian authorities.

Lithuania sets itself the task of aggravating the situation as much as possible and making Belarus responsible for this, ”Sergei Rekeda, general director of the Center for the Study of Integration Prospects, said in an interview with RT.

For his part, the President of the Baltic Studies Association Nikolai Mezhevich called the comment of the Lithuanian Foreign Minister on the talks between Minsk and Berlin incorrect or inappropriate.

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania

• © Wikimedia commons

"One gets the impression that Landsbergis wants to teach the wisdom of the statesmen, who are much older and more politically experienced than him," the analyst said in a commentary on RT.

According to him, such rhetoric on the part of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reflects the essence of the foreign policy line of the Baltic republic.

“We are talking about some inadequacy, which Lithuanian politicians regularly prove with such statements,” the expert says.

He also added that Lithuania, in fact, "is trying to impose its own vision of the migration problem on Germany."

According to Mezhevich, opposing negotiations with Minsk and refusing to do business with him to resolve the current crisis, Vilnius plans to attract the attention of Brussels and Washington.

“However, there is no reason to expect that someone will seriously help Lithuania in the fight against illegal migration, since the EU is now very reluctant to allocate money for fences and trenches, funding under these articles is somewhat limited,” the analyst explained.

From his point of view, Poland adheres to the same strategy, but in an even more aggressive version.

“Warsaw needs noise and scandal, and much more than Vilnius.

The Polish side also wants to attract the maximum attention of the European Union, to raise its status as the last line of defense of Europe against Lukashenka.

This is a kind of trading in fear - Warsaw has been using this technique for many years.

Now they give a lot less money for this, but the habit remains, ”says Mezhevich.

As Rekeda noted, the lack of communication on migrants between Warsaw and Vilnius, on the one hand, and Minsk, on the other, can also be explained by the anti-Belarusian sentiment that exists in their policies.

“In the minds of the Polish and Lithuanian establishment, a dialogue with Belarus is impossible as long as it is an ally of Russia, which they unreasonably regard as a geopolitical adversary,” the analyst says.

For this reason, Lithuania and Poland will continue to try to exert political pressure on the Belarusian authorities, calling on the EU to impose sanctions and other unfriendly measures, Sergei Rekeda predicts.

“Vilnius and Warsaw will continue to push through their tough position of refusing to negotiate with Lukashenka, use forceful methods of influence on the border, which we have already seen, and try to ensure that migrants stay on the territory of Belarus and become a problem for Minsk,” the expert summed up ...