English Section

Blinken reaffirms US support for Poland amid migrant crisis

15.11.2021 07:15
US State Secretary Antony Blinken has reaffirmed America's support for Poland amid a migrant crisis on the EU member's border with Belarus.
Image:
Image:gov.pl

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed U.S. support for Poland in the face of the Lukashenka regime’s cynical exploitation of vulnerable migrants," the US State Department said in a statement on Sunday.

"The actions by the Lukashenka regime threaten security, sow division, and aim to distract from Russia’s activities on the border with Ukraine," it added.

The US State Department also said in its statement that Blinken and Rau "strongly condemned the instrumentalization of vulnerable migrants" and called on Belarus's strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko to "address the root causes of sanctions imposed by the West – the denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms for the Belarusian people."

Blinken also "expressed his deep appreciation for Poland’s vocal support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity" during his phone talk with Rau, according to the US State Department.

"The United States, Poland, and other Allies and partners are united in imposing significant costs on Moscow for its military aggression and malign activities in the region," the statement said.

Poland’s Rau said in a Twitter post that during his phone call with Blinken he "thanked the US for its political support and discussed opportunities for further allied cooperation."

The United States and European members of the UN Security Council last week condemned Belarus for the “orchestrated instrumentalization" of migrants as tensions rose along the Polish-Belarusian border.

(gs)

Source: PAP, state.gov