MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko again discussed the situation on Belarus’ border with EU countries in a phone conversation, expressing concern over the unacceptable actions of Polish border guards who use brute force and riot control weapons against migrants, the Kremlin press service reported on Friday.
"Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The presidents continued their discussion of the migrant situation at the border between Belarus and the European Union. They expressed grave concern over the Polish border guards’ unacceptable brutal actions, including extensive use of force and special equipment," the statement said.
In his turn, the Belarusian president reported the November 17 phone conversation with Germany’s acting Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed Minsk’s actions on de-escalating the crisis and providing humanitarian aid to the migrants. "The presidents of Russia and Belarus noted the importance of establishing cooperation between Minsk and the EU to resolve the issue," the statement emphasized.
The leaders of both countries also touched on the aspects of Russian-Belarusian cooperation in the sphere of trade and economy. The parties agreed to continue regular contacts at various levels.
The migrant crisis on the Belarusian border with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland where Middle Eastern migrants have been flocking to since the beginning of the year, quickly unraveled on November 8. Several thousand refugees approached the Polish border from Belarus and refused to leave the area, attempting to cross into Poland. EU countries have accused Minsk of intentionally escalating the crisis and have called for sanctions. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that the Western countries themselves were to blame for this quagmire since these people were fleeing war in their homelands because of the West’s belligerent policies.