Polish Foreign Ministry on closing border with Belarus: We consider any steps

Poland is considering any steps to protect itself amid the deteriorating security situation caused by Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus, but closing the border is a last resort.

Source: Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński in an interview with CNN 

Jabłoński said Poland would like to avoid a decision to close the border with Belarus completely.

"We are considering any steps that will be necessary to protect our territory, protect our citizens, including the full isolation of Belarus, including full closure of the border," Jabłoński said.

The Deputy Foreign Minister added that closing the border is an extreme measure. Still, in the case of attacks on Poland and attempts to destabilise the situation in the country, "We might have no other option".

Jabłoński emphasised that the threat from Belarus "is very real", as the Wagner fighters were trying to penetrate Polish territory.

"We are stating very clearly that we will not back down. Obviously there will be attempts. We are expecting more attempts on attacks on our border, perhaps more attempts on also violating our airspace," Jabłoński said.

He said that Poland is deploying more and more troops near the Belarusian border, but did not specify their number.

Background:

• Recently, Poland and Lithuania reported that about a hundred Wagner fighters moved to the Suwałki Gap; Wagner's Group was located near the Lithuanian border in the Hrodna Oblast of Belarus.
• Earlier, Arnoldas Abramavičius, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Lithuania, announced the decision to close two checkpoints on the border with Belarus, adding that they will be named a little later.

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