Build-up of migrants on Poland-Belarus Border leads to threat of more sanctions

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 12 Nov 2021 by Alex Teddy

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Hundreds of illegal immigrants are stranded on the frontier as temperatures plummet. They have very little in the way of tents, food or winter clothing. These people wish to enter Poland because it is an EU state. Poland and Lithuania have rushed troops to their border with Belarus and are building barriers. Poland said Belarus was guilty of terrorism for causing this border dispute and threatening to fire on Polish soldiers who were on the Polish side of the border.Belarus sends gas to the EU. Lukashenka has said he will stop gas supplies to the EU if the EU hits him with sanctions. The EU is already very short of gas as winter is starting. This would hurt the EU but it would wreck Belarus' already suffering economy. It would mean that Belarus would need even more Russian financial support and be even closer to full reintegration with Russia: something that Lukashenka has striven to avoid.On November 11 Angela Merkel had her second conversation in as many days with Putin about Belarus. Merkel and Putin are fluent in each other's languages and Putin has a better relationship with her than with any other EU leader.Merkel said the crisis was entirely down the Lukashenka and he is weaponizing refugees to cause a problem for the EU.Putin complained that NATO is being provocative with its warships in the Black Sea. He lamented the Ukrainian use of drones against rebels in eastern Ukraine.Russian nuclear capable bombers have been flying over Belarus. The message is that if Belarus is aggressed by NATO then Russia shall defend her ally.The US, France and the UK all condemned Belarus' actions in the UN Security Council. No UNSC resolution against Belarus can pass because Russi...