DISINFO: Poland and Lithuania keep provoking Belarus by closing border crossing points
SUMMARY
The Polish and Lithuanian decisions to close the border crossing points with Belarus is a provocation. From an economic point of view, these countries keep provoking Belarus – the closed border crossing points are an economic provocation. At the same time, the Western neighbours of Belarus escalate the conflict [in the region]. Belarus turned a blind eye to the fact that they [Poland] draw school maps with the border near Minsk – Poland dreams of its domination from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus or destabilise this country. Poland and the Baltic states are presented here as countries with hostile and aggressive plans towards Belarus.
On 9 February 2023, the Polish authorities decided to close down one of the border crossing points with Belarus (Bobrowniki) as a reaction to the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut (a Polish-Belarusian journalist) to eight years in jail for alleged extremist activities. Recently, Lithuania closed the Stasily-Beniakonie railway crossing with Belarus because of the active cigarette smuggling taking place through this crossing.
The Polish authorities have repeatedly stated that their main concern with Belarus is the intense violation of human rights by the Belarusian authorities, which includes large-scale political repressions, pressure on the activists of the Polish minority and intense intimidation of Belarusian society. See EUvsDisinfo's special section on Belarus. Poland supports free and democratic elections in Belarus – only the Belarusians can decide about their future.
See similar pro-Kremlin disinformation messages - Poland presented a plan of active interference in the domestic affairs of Belarus, Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor open extremist actions against Belarus, and the CIA will try to repeat a Maidan scenario in Belarus.