EU ambassadors agreed today that Belarus’ decision to encourage Middle Eastern migrants to enter Poland could legally be seen as a “hybrid attack” as the basis for a new round of sanctions against Minsk, they said. diplomats.
The agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting of the European bloc’s 27 envoys in Brussels, diplomats said. Belarus denies any wrongdoing and says it, and not the EU, is the victim of a “hybrid attack” using unconventional war tactics.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the EU was close to imposing additional sanctions on Belarus, with punitive measures against about 30 individuals and entities, including the foreign minister and Belarus airline, with the approval of the sanctions expected to be announced as soon as possible. next week.
The sanctions package will be discussed by experts tomorrow, Thursday, with the possibility of approval on Monday, when EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels.
However, agreeing on the objectives of the sanctions and the evidence required to avoid legal action means that the imposition of sanctions may take longer. The governments of the EU Member States must also decide whether to target existing Belavia aircraft leasing contracts or only future agreements.
Poland also briefed its NATO allies in Brussels today on the migrant crisis on its border, which the North Atlantic Alliance says was provoked by Minsk, a NATO official said after the closed-door meeting.
“The allies have made it clear that Belarus is responsible for the crisis and that the use of immigration by the Lukashenko regime as a hybrid tactic is inhumane, illegal and unacceptable,” said Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“NATO is ready to further assist our allies and maintain security and safety in the region,” he said.
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