Poland decides to close border crossings with Belarus
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that Poland will close its border crossings with Belarus due to the "Zapad" military exercises that Russia and Belarus are set to begin on September 12.
İHA
Poland has decided to close its border crossings with Belarus. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a statement to the press before today's Council of Ministers meeting, reported that the Russian and Belarusian armies will begin "Zapad" military exercises in Belarus, in a region very close to the Polish border, which are highly aggressive in terms of military doctrine, on September 12.
Stating that the exercises in question will have various consequences, Tusk said that the Polish army and allied forces will also conduct exercises on the Polish side.
Expressing that they are facing an increasing number of provocations by Russia and Belarus, Tusk stated, "Due to the security of the state and the Zapad military exercises, we will close border crossings with Belarus, including railway crossings, on the night from Thursday to Friday." Prime Minister Tusk did not provide information on how long the border crossings would remain closed.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the Polish Embassy in Minsk, Krzysztof Ozanna, to the Ministry to protest the decision.
In a statement issued by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was claimed that "the unlawful actions of one country fundamentally affect the EU's borders with Belarus and create serious difficulties for the normal international movement of persons and goods," further alleging that Poland's actions are an indication that it is abusing its geographical position and "privatizing" the EU-Eurasian Economic Union borders.