Lukashenko demands "contact" with Poland, resulting in tense relations with the Belarusian government | Poland | Lukashenko
According to Agence France Presse, Belarusian President Lukashenko stated on August 11th that he has requested the Belarusian government to "engage" with neighboring Poland and stated that he is willing to engage in dialogue with the Polish side.
The report points out that due to the situation in the border area, relations between Belarus, an ally of Moscow, and Poland, a member of NATO, have become increasingly tense recently.
According to the Belarusian state news agency, Lukashenko said, "We need to have a dialogue with the Poles. I demand that the Prime Minister engage with them."
Lukashenko said, "We are neighbors, you cannot choose your own neighbors."
According to a previous report by the Associated Press, Polish Defense Minister Marius Bouashchak stated on the 10th that Poland plans to deploy 10000 soldiers in its border area with Belarus.
Bouvashchak said that ultimately 10000 Polish soldiers will be deployed to the border areas. He revealed this news during an interview with the national radio station. The day before, a Polish official announced that Poland would send an additional 2000 soldiers to the border areas in the next two weeks, thereby doubling the size of the military in the border areas.
According to reports, Poland has been on guard for immigrants who have arrived at the Polish border from Belarus and attempted to illegally enter the country in the past two years. The governments of Poland and other NATO East Wing countries have accused Belarusian President Lukashenko of opening channels to immigrants as a "mixed war" aimed at creating instability in the West.
The Associated Press pointed out that Poland is also very concerned about the Wagner Group soldiers who are currently being transferred to Belarus. After two Belarusian military helicopters briefly entered Polish airspace last week, this concern further intensified. Poland believes that the helicopter incident was a deliberate provocation by Belarus, but the Belarusian Ministry of Defense claims that this accusation is purely fabricated and an excuse used by Polish military and political leaders to gradually increase troops and equipment near the Belarusian border.