Poland says there is no military threat on border with Belarus

The presence of the Polish army there was mainly a safeguard, he said during a visit to Montenegro.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Polish government official said migrants camped on the Belarusian side were being taken by bus, suggesting the tense standoff could ease.

Polish border guards posted a video on Twitter showing migrants with bags and backpacks being directed away from the border by Belarusian forces.

Maciej Wasik, Polish deputy interior minister, said he had received reports of migrants boarding buses provided by Belarus and leaving the area.

But border guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska said some of the migrants were seen taking logs with them, raising questions as to whether they could be moved to another location along the river. frontier.

A large group of people from the Middle East have been stuck at a border post with Poland since November 8, waiting and hoping to enter Europe. Most are fleeing conflict or desperation at home and targeting Germany or other countries in Western Europe.

The West has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of using migrants as pawns to destabilize the 27-nation bloc in retaliation for its sanctions against its authoritarian regime. Belarus denies orchestrating the crisis.

Mr. Duda stressed that Poland would not accept any international decision regarding the solutions to the border stalemate that would have been taken without Poland’s participation.

The Polish president was referring to recent talks between outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and authoritarian Belarusian leader Lukashenko, whose authority is questioned by the West.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert highlighted the plight of migrants brought to the border from Belarus and stranded there.

In order to improve the humanitarian situation, he said, “it makes sense to also speak to those who have the opportunity to change this situation in Minsk, even when it comes to a leader whose legitimacy, like all other European member states, Germany does not recognize ”.

Mr Seibert said UN aid was starting to reach migrants at the border and it was important to ensure permanent access to humanitarian agencies.

Tensions rose on Tuesday when Polish border forces used water cannons and tear gas against migrants throwing stones.

Warsaw accused the Lukashenko regime of distributing smoke grenades and other weapons to those trying to cross the border.

But on Wednesday, Polish authorities said the situation had calmed down, and while they recorded 161 attempts to cross the Polish border illegally, the large migrant camp near the Kuznica crossing – which is now closed – counted less. of people.

“The campsite near Kuznica is slowly emptying,” Mr. Wasik said.

Information provided by the authorities is difficult to verify due to the restrictions journalists face when working on both sides of the border. The state of emergency in Poland keeps journalists, human rights defenders and others away from the border along an area 3 km deep.

A spokesman for the German Interior Ministry denied rumors that Berlin was planning to pick up the migrants and take them to Germany.

Steve Alter said current developments show that “the road to Belarus is a dead end for most people who want to go to Germany. There are no plans to approve the reception of people ”.

Estonia, also affected by migrant movements but to a lesser extent, said it will build a temporary razor-wire barrier up to 40 km long at its eastern border with Russia as a temporary solution to ensure the border security.

The northernmost of the three Baltic states, with a population of 1.3 million, shares a 183-mile (294 km) land border with Russia and a 211-mile (340 km) border with Latvia, but no has no border with Belarus.

Iraq called on its citizens to return home, telling them entry into the EU was closed. The first flights are scheduled for Thursday.

Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that the migrants were accommodated in a logistics center at the border, giving them the option after several days of sleeping indoors rather than in tents outside.