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Crisis in Belarus

Minsk forced to shut down borders with Lithuania, Poland and boost control with Ukraine

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that he would not want to see a war waged in his country

© Viktor Tolochko/RIA Novosti/Pool/TASS

MINSK, September 17. /TASS/. Belarus is forced to shut down its state border with Lithuania and Poland as well as boost border controls with Ukraine, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday, calling on citizens of the three countries to stop their politicians and avert a ‘hot war’.

"We are forced to <…> shut down the state border with the West, particularly with Lithuania and Poland. We are forced to strengthen the state border with our brotherly Ukraine, to our great sorrow. In the last few days, we have been forced to build up a joint defense of the Union State with the Russian president and the defense minister. We also boosted the long-planned drills that are being held in west Belarus," Lukashenko noted. "We also decided to hold them in two stages amid the difficult situation."

He added that he would not want to see a war waged in his country. "Even more so I don’t want Belarus or Poland and Lithuania to turn into a battleground where alien issues will be resolved. Therefore, <…> I would like to address the people of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine: stop your mad politicians and don’t let them start a war," he said.

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