Tusk and von der Leyen inspect Polish-Belarus border
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the northeastern village of Ozierany Male on the Polish-Belarusian border in Podlaskie province on Sunday to inspect fortifications and monitoring systems installed there.
In an attempt to deter migrants entering from Belarus, inspired by Russia, Poland has completed construction of an electronic barrier along the full length of the Podlaskie section of the Belarus border, including its river stretches. The region is already secured by a 5.5-meter steel fence stretching 186 kilometers with a sensor-based barrier extending 206 kilometers. In neighbouring Lubelskie province, an electronic barrier was installed along the Bug River on a 172-kilometer section.
Speaking to the media in Ozierany Male, Tusk said that he chose this place "to show what modern solidarity is all about."
"This border is as important today as our dream of liberation from Soviet domination was 45 years ago," he said referring to the anniversary of a milestone accord of August 31, 1980, between the then Polish communist authorities and striking shipyard workers from the Solidarity trade union. The pact fostered a national movement that paved the way for the eventual dismantling of communist rule in Poland and across Eastern Europe.
The last days and weeks of the war in Ukraine clearly showed that "no concessions, no subtle game with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and aggressive Russia will lead to success and will not guarantee our security," Tusk told reporters.
"Poland, Europe, NATO, the United States must again, just as we once did, just as we felt the support of the entire West 45 years ago when Solidarity was founded, they must also today be very tough, decisive, and show solidarity towards this next version of the evil empire," he added.
He also said that the European Commission president came to the Polish-Belarusian border "to find arguments to convince everyone in Europe that this is the border we must protect, and in which we must also invest European money."
Earlier Tusk and von der Leyen held talks focusing on defence and security, including the protection of the EU's eastern border. On the agenda was also EC-proposed EUR 150-billion SAFE preferential loan programme as part of the plan to rearm Europe amid Russia's development of its military potential, Prime Minister's Office has reported.
At the local Border Guard post they took part in a briefing with the command staff of the Border Guard and the troops protecting the Polish-Belarusian border, where hybrid operations and migration pressure inspired by Belarus and Russia have been taking place for several years.
Later they visited a warehouse with components for Poland's Shield East, a line of fortifications along the country's borders with Belarus and Russia, to be connected to a similar line being built by the Baltic states.
Von der Leyen's Sunday visit to Poland is part of a series of meetings in EU countries bordering Russia and Belarus. The trip began on Friday in Latvia, followed by Finland and by Estonia on Saturday. After Poland, the tour will continue to Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Romania.
Since 2021, Poland has been facing an influx of mostly North African and Middle Eastern migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus. Warsaw has accused Minsk of orchestrating the migration pressure in order to destabilise the EU. (PAP)mmr/at
