UK ‘must prepare for conflict with Russia’ over border dispute
BRITAIN must be ready for a military confrontation with Belarus and Russia as the Polish border crisis intensifies, experts warned last night.
Some 4,000 mostly Middle Eastern migrants are massed in woodland along the 250-mile Belarus-polish border following reports the state’s leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is deliberately “weaponising” them in a bid to destabilise the EU.
So far, the UK has been the only ally to deploy troops to assist Warsaw, though diplomatic calls between Warsaw and the Nato Council this weekend should see troops from the US and Germany, already based in Poland, also diverted to assist.
Around a dozen Royal Engineers were sent to Poland, to advise the government on making the border more secure.
‘Belarus is a rogue state’
Britain also has around 150 troops in the country to support US forces as part of its commitment to Operation Cabrit, Nato’s enhanced forward presence.
Whitehall sources say that diverting regular combat troops to border duties is currently seen as “too provocative”.
Poland has deliberately used Nato to muster support because EU rules say that member states can only receive help if they cannot cope with a crisis.
“Doing this would give Russia the signal Poland is unable to deal with this crisis. That would be taken as a clear sign of weakness by the Kremlin and prompt further escalation,” warned Sławomir Debski, director the Polish Institute of International Affairs think-tank.
But escalation may be just around the corner, experts warned, after 600 Russian and Belarusian paratroopers dropped just 70 miles from Poland in what Nato commanders say was a clear demonstration of political and military intent.
Last night, 90 Russian soldiers along with 60 Belarusian and 20 Kazakh troops parachuted in from three Russian aircraft.
Both Russia and Nato have deployed spy planes to monitor each other and Nato commanders have sent an “alert” to warships to avoid stand-offs.
Sanctions were imposed on Belarus in the summer after it detained opposition activist Roman Protasevich, whose flight was diverted to Minsk under the pretence of a bomb threat.
“This is a rogue state,” said Viktorija Starych-Samuoliene, of the Council of Geopolitics.
“We never imagined this crisis would escalate to this extent, and it is continuing to escalate.
“The UK has taken a good step to provide military assistance – it is really critical to show we support allies and partners.
“But we must be prepared to support them militarily if it escalates further.”
President Vladimir Putin has told Russian channel Rossiya 1 that he hoped talks between Germany and Belarus could provide a breakthrough.
But he said of the migrant crisis: “I want everyone to know we have absolutely nothing to do with this.”