The migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border allowed Minsk to divert attention from Russia, said the head of the press service of the US State Department Ned Price.
Price said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Saturday had a telephone conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, during which Washington confirmed its support for Warsaw in the face of the cynical exploitation of defenseless migrants.
“The actions […] of Lukashenko threaten security and sow division, and their purpose is to divert attention from Russia’s actions on the border with Ukraine,” the statement said.
According to Price, Blinken and Rau “strongly condemned the use of migrants and called on President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to eliminate the main reasons for the imposition of sanctions by the West – the denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms to the Belarusian people.” In addition, the Secretary of State appreciated the support of Poland, which Warsaw “expresses to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
“The United States, Poland and other allies and partners are united in their determination to make Moscow pay a high price for military aggression and hostile activities in the region,” Price summed up in his statement.