On September 1, Polish border guards again stopped a provocation from Belarusian territory. They were fired by 55 migrants with slingshots and stones. Why does the Belarusian side allow such incidents? – Read further in the article.
Aggravations are becoming more frequent
A few years ago, the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border was quite calm, which cannot be said about the present time. All the rallies and riots organized by migrants in the border areas cannot go unnoticed by the Belarusian border guards, who logically should prevent them immediately after they occur. However, there is no such reaction from Belarus. It is obvious that the provocations are taking place with the tacit consent (if not with the assistance) of Minsk.
The real reason for the escalation is banal – finances (and politics, of course).
Money solves everything
Previously, security on the Polish-Belarusian border was ensured according to a stable scheme and most of the border guards were Belarusian. They guarded the borders from the Belarusian side for both countries. In turn, Poland paid Belarus for such fortification, and the situation suited everyone.
However, at some point, Poland decided that overpayments were quite significant. They decided to implement a “passive” protection principle by building a “wall” to significantly reduce overpayments. The project, worth about 400 million dollars, also needed finance, but in the long run, it would allow significant savings.
Securely fenced off
The idea was born at the peak of the migration crisis in 2021, so construction itself began in January 2022, shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The project was completed quickly, and now the structure has the following characteristics:
– 5.5 m high fence;
– length – 187 km;
– control by video surveillance cameras along most of the border perimeter.
Since the fence was completed, the Polish border has been considered the best-protected border in Europe.
Belarusian “animation”
However, this situation does not suit Minsk at all. It’s interested in further receiving the money that Poland actually paid for peace on the border. That is why Belarusian border guards persistently “ignore” migrants who attack the border from their side. Such provocations became systematic.
Under the law, Polish defenders have the right to eliminate those who illegally come to their side from Belarus, as they do, for example, in Israel. However, the Poles have to behave humanely, because there is also a political situation. Russia’s aggression and the status of Belarus as its closest partner leave their mark.
That is why Poland stubbornly does not respond to provocations by migrants, the deployment of military forces to this zone, and the so-called “joint training” together with Russian units. Time will tell how long this trend will last before Warsaw loses patience. For now, the Polish government is simply increasing the number of units in the border zone.
