A Polish deputy prime minister stated on Thursday that Poland expects the European Union to assist in funding measures to enhance security on its eastern border. This comes after Warsaw announced an increase in security due to concerns regarding the presence of the Russian private military group Wagner in Belarus. The decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Wagner forces the option to relocate to Belarus has raised alarms among NATO member states in Eastern Europe, fearing that the group's presence could cause significant instability in the region.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, mentioned on Wednesday that Poland believes there are already about eight thousand Wagner fighters in Belarus. He added, "Poland will take both temporary and permanent measures to enhance border security, including increasing the presence of security forces and fortifying defenses."
Poland accuses its neighbor Belarus of creating a refugee crisis at the border by bringing people from the Middle East and Africa by air and then attempting to push them across the border. Minsk denies these allegations.
