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Polish border strife fomented in order to drag Russia into quagmire, Lukashenko says

As for the crisis on the border with Poland, the Belarusian President noted that Warsaw needs this conflict

MINSK, November 15. /TASS/. The migrant encampment quandary on the border with Poland is being intentionally whipped up in order to get Russia involved in this conflict, among other things, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asserted during a meeting with a working group on the constitutional draft on Monday.

"It is clear that the situation on the state border is heating up and it is clear with what intention. We understand this perfectly," the BelTA news agency quoted him as saying. "Not for nothing do they [state] after a comma: ‘Lukashenko is to blame,’ followed by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [that is] Belarus is to blame,’ then - Russia is to blame. It is obvious that the goal is to escalate tensions," the Belarusian president said.

Lukashenko highlighted the recent events in the Black Sea noting that this issue was among the subjects he had discussed in a recent phone conversation with the Russian president. "The Americans and NATO are acting repulsively in the Black Sea. They are inflaming the situation for us intentionally. However, we are not kids who give into these incomprehensible gesticulations," the Belarusian leader said.

As for the crisis on the border with Poland, he noted that Warsaw needs this conflict. "We don’t need these poor people to walk around Minsk, Grodno, to bother our people. Especially on the state border where border guards are performing their duties nowadays on heightened alert," the Belarusian president emphasized.

At the same time, he noted that the border camp on Belarusian soil where thousands of migrants are located is being guarded. "We are forced to guard it so that weapons won’t be planted there. I’ve already mentioned this time and again but the reproaches continue," the Belarusian leader noted.

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