4 countries bordering Belarus ask Minsk to expel Wagner

Poland and the Baltic states have demanded that Belarus expel Wagner forces, warning that they will close their borders if a "serious incident" occurs.

"We demand that the authorities in Minsk immediately order the Wagner group to leave the territory of Belarus, and that illegal immigrants leave the border area and return to their home countries," Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said today.

Kaminski made the statement at a joint press conference with his counterparts from the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. From Estonia, all three remaining countries have borders with Belarus.

"If a serious incident occurs, whether on the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will respond immediately. All open border crossings will be closed," Poland's interior minister said.

Wagner gunmen rehearse with the Belarusian army in July. Photo: Belarusian Ministry of Defense

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite cited two criteria for the decision to close the border with Belarus, including "armed action that could pose a serious threat to national security or a sharp increase in the number of people crossing the border".

Belarusian officials have not commented on the information.

Poland, Latvia and Lithuania are increasingly concerned about border security, as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Wagner members would continue to arrive in the country in waves, with the total number of fighters here reaching 10,000.

The European Union (EU) has accused Belarus of creating a migrant crisis at its borders by allowing thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia to enter Poland. The EU said this was a retaliation for Western sanctions against Belarus, while Minsk denied this.

Location of Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Graphic: CBC

President Lukashenko brokered a deal that ended the Wagner rebellion on June 24. Wagner members who did not want to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry were granted immunity from prosecution and traveled to Belarus with tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin.

After arriving in Belarus, the Wagner group has participated in a number of training and exercises with the country's military. "We help and support them so that they don't have to go anywhere. We need these units," Lukashenko said, adding that the group's members could still rotate between Belarus and Africa.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters )

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