Poland to reinstate buffer zone at Belarus border
Poland will reinstate a 200-metre buffer zone at its eastern border with Belarus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, after a soldier was seriously injured in an attack by illegal migrants the previous day.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk (centre) speaks during a visit to the country’s border with Belarus on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.Photo: PAP/Artur Reszko
A Polish soldier from the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade was stabbed with a makeshift spear by migrants attempting to breach the border barrier early on Tuesday, according to officials.
„It was recommended to us that we should quickly restore the 200-metre buffer zone in this area where possible,” Tusk said during a visit to the border on Wednesday morning.
„We are ready to make such a decision at the beginning of next week,” he told a news conference in the eastern village of Dubicze Cerkiewne.
Polish prosecutors have classified Tuesday’s incident as attempted murder, state news agency PAP reported.
Migrants also hurled stones and other dangerous objects at Polish law enforcement officers during the attack, according to Poland’s Border Guard agency.
’Our soldiers and officers will be fully supported’: PM
During his visit to the area where the violent incident took place, Tusk addressed troops and assured them of the government’s full support in their duties, emphasizing no tolerance for threats to their safety.
„Our soldiers and officers will be fully supported, even in the toughest actions needed to defend the border,” Tusk stated on Wednesday, acknowledging the risks faced by border patrols.
„There will be no talk of the slightest tolerance or any hesitation when it comes to supporting our soldiers and officers during this very difficult mission, which is not just protecting the border, but actually defending it, as we are dealing with very aggressive actions,” he added.
Speaking alongside his Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Tusk also said that these border incidents involved organized and sophisticated attacks rather than spontaneous migrant movements.
Hybrid warfare tactics are employed by Russia and its ally Belarus, aiming to destabilize Poland and, by extension, Europe, government officials have said.
The use of illegal migrants in this hybrid warfare to put political pressure on European governments and sow division within the EU is a common tactic, increasingly used to influence the outcomes of elections and other major political events, news outlets reported.
’The Polish border must be protected’
The government plans to deploy more police to the region, especially in areas prone to group attempts to breach the border.
The increased presence aims to quickly coordinate actions among the military, the Border Guard, and the police to handle any emerging threats swiftly.
Addressing the combined security personnel, Tusk said on Wednesday: „There is no room for negotiation. The Polish border must be protected. The targets of aggression are Polish soldiers, border guards, both male and female officers, and you have the full right, not to say also the duty, to use all methods available to you.”
He added: „Our task is to ensure that you feel legally secure and fully supported by all Poles when you defend not only the border but also your lives.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo: PAP/Artur Reszko
Rising challenges at the border
Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek has told public broadcaster Polish Radio that Tuesday’s attack on the Polish soldier occurred amid increasing migration pressures and aggression in the border area.
Speaking in an interview with Polish Radio on Tuesday morning, Mroczek highlighted the rising challenges at the border, exacerbated by organized large-scale attempts to cross, supported by Belarusian forces.
Mroczek accused Belarus of not only turning a blind eye but actively facilitating the movement of migrants to the Polish border as a form of hybrid warfare aimed at destabilizing the region.
Andrzej Jóźwiak, a spokesman for the Border Guard, told reporters on Tuesday that Belarusian forces were assisting people in their illegal border crossings.
„We clearly see that Belarusian forces are helping foreigners during attempts to cross the border, and these migrants are equipped with tools to help them breach the border,” he said.
Thousands of attempts to cross into Poland
According to the Border Guard, more than 13,000 people have attempted to illegally cross into Poland from Belarus this year, with a sharp increase in recent days.
Observers attribute this to Russia increasing pressure on EU countries ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio24.pl
