Expert explains why EU inflating migration crisis on border with Belarus

NATO members are using the migration crisis as a mechanism of provocations against Russia and Belarus, thus escalating tensions near the western borders of the Union State. Political scientist Aleksei Dzermant explains why our Western neighbours choose the path of escalation instead of jointly settling the refugee problem.

“They need to present our country as a monster that allegedly directs these huge flows of migrants to the West. Although in fact, thousands of these people are using the southern path, not ours. European officials use this opportunity to discredit Belarus primarily in the Western world, showing us as a threat to the security of the entire European Union, and exposing themselves as defenders who stand guard and ask for more money for this. They’re just selling security. Instead of sitting down at the negotiating table and agreeing, as it was before, they choose the tactic of making money by selling their image as saviours and knights of Europe from the ‘barbarians’ that we are letting there. Thus, they are trying to put political pressure on us,” the expert explains.

Hiding behind the crisis, Western countries are actively creating an ‘iron curtain’, forcibly expelling all migrants to Belarusian territory and closing border crossings.

The political analyst adds that another aspect of this situation is that Poland and the Baltic States – which are extremely dependent on Americans – are hindering the continental transit from China to Western Europe with the situation of migrants.

“They partially fulfil the order of the United States, although it is extremely unsuitable for them,” Aleksei Dzermant notes. “Poland alone earns billions of Euros in transit. Therefore, on the one hand, they are trying to minimise and even blackmail China with this, and on the other hand, they are afraid to close the borders completely, because they will suffer serious losses. That’s how they balance.”

Moreover, the problem of migrants is used as a pretext for the militarisation of the region and the concentration of NATO contingents in the border areas. Therefore, Poland and the Baltic States are artificially inflating the migration crisis on the Union State western borders.

“They use this as an excuse to get more money for militarisation, for financing the military-industrial complex, for military infrastructure, for these huge fences. Again, all this is money, which, as I believe, settles in the pockets of Polish politicians,” the expert says.

Poland has erected a 5m fence with a length of 186km on the border with Belarus which cost Polish taxpayers $400m. The Baltic States and Poland want to build a 700km defensive line using the EU money. This will require $2.7bn.