The EU will continue to confront those who “instrumentalize the hopes and lives of the people,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a conference of EU ambassadors on the occasion of the Lukashenko regime.
“The rise of extremism and authoritarianism can be a security issue for countries. We saw it ourselves with the hybrid attack on our borders by the Lukashenko regime in Minsk. “The instrumentalization of immigrants was cynically orchestrated by a regime, in order to distract attention from the repression of its people,” said von der Leyen.
He added that “through targeted misinformation on social media, they made false promises and literally lured people to the EU-Belarus border, putting their lives in danger. “In response, we immediately imposed sanctions in coordination with the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.”
“We have worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration and others to meet the humanitarian needs of migrants trapped by the Lukashenko regime and to help them return home. “We have worked closely with our Member States to manage the EU’s external borders.”
The President of the Commission also noted that the EU has prepared a blacklist of carriers for the movement of people, from airlines to travel agencies.
“Several airlines and civil aviation authorities quickly stopped unwarranted travel to Belarus. And we approached the countries of transit and origin. 75% of the migrants trapped at the border are Iraqis. Iraq has begun repatriating nationals trapped in Belarus. “And we welcome this very good cooperation with Iraq.”
Ursula von der Leyen stressed that “cooperation with partners is effective and sends a clear message: We stand by Lithuania, Latvia and Poland and will continue to stand up to those who instrumentalize the hopes and lives of the people.” .
Regarding the massive accumulation of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, the President of the Commission expressed “the full and unwavering support of the EU to Ukraine in view of this aggression against its territorial integrity and sovereignty. “We are also witnessing the blatant attempt to intimidate the reformist government of Moldova by manipulating gas supplies in an era of high energy prices.”
“We must protect our societies and democracies from this kind of cynical game of geopolitical power,” said Ursula von der Leyen, adding that ” malicious acts, which will be committed against us or our neighbors, including Ukraine “.
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