Lukashenko assails EU for refusing to hold talks on migrants

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MOSCOW – The authoritarian person of Belarus connected Monday sharply criticized the European Union for its refusal to clasp talks connected the influx of migrants connected the country's borderline with Poland.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko urged Germany to accommodate astir 2,000 migrants who had remained connected the borderline with Poland and slammed EU officials for refusing to negociate an extremity to the standoff.

“We indispensable request that the Germans instrumentality them,” Lukashenko said astatine a gathering with officials.

He charged that German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised him that the EU volition woody with the contented erstwhile they spoke by telephone this month.

“I'm inactive waiting for the EU to springiness america a effect astir 2,000 refugees,” Lukashenko said. “They haven't adjacent contacted us.”

EU spokesperson Peter Stano said the bloc has been “in interaction with a fig of Belarussian interlocutors,” adding that it is looking into the anticipation of holding talks with U.N. agencies and Belarussian officials astatine a method adept level connected however to assistance repatriate those stuck successful Belarus.

The EU has accused Lukashenko's authorities of orchestrating the migration surge connected its eastbound flank arsenic a “hybrid attack” successful retaliation for the bloc's sanctions implicit the crackdown by Belarusian authorities connected home protests. Belarus denies the charge.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas connected Monday again denounced the “cynical misuse of migrants” by Lukashenko’s government.

Poland is pushing the migrants back, saying it's protecting the borderline for each of Europe. It has received beardown declarations of enactment from the EU, NATO and the U.S.

A video posted Monday connected Twitter by the spokesperson for Poland's information forces, Stanislaw Zaryn, shows Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, connected the Belarus broadside of the border, shouting sarcastic comments successful Russian astatine Polish borderline guards.

“Catholics, wherever is your emotion for your neighbors? Your religion means little to you than your wage and the instructions from Brussels," Milonov, a subordinate of Russia's ruling United Russia party, shouted crossed the closed checkpoint of Bruzgi-Kuznica.

Poland is simply a predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

The International Rescue Committee said 13 migrants person died successful the forests connected some sides of the border. Others person abandoned hopes of reaching Europe and were flown backmost to the Middle East.

Humanitarian groups and the Catholic Church person been pressing to beryllium allowed to bring assistance to the stranded migrants.

Lukashenko connected Monday changeable backmost astatine Polish authorities, accusing them of “trying to lick their interior and outer problems by putting unit connected Belarus and casting it arsenic a culprit for Poland's problems.”

He insisted the migrants person been heading westbound to scope relatives successful Germany.

“We haven't been shuttling anyone crossed the border,” helium said. “Those radical are heading determination connected their own. We don't privation immoderate confrontation ... but we volition support those hapless folks arsenic overmuch arsenic we can."

Poland’s Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska said determination were implicit 300 attempts by migrants Sunday to get done the razor ligament borderline obstruction into the EU. She said astir were prevented portion astir 60 who got done were turned back. In 1 case, astir 150 “aggressive foreigners” tried to cross, aided by Belarus forces who utilized laser pointers and spotlights to unsighted Polish borderline guards, she said.

She said Poland is readying instrumentality flights for hundreds of Iraqis present successful the country’s guarded migrant centers.

Of astir 1,900 migrants successful those centers, much than 1,200 are Iraqis, she said. About 700 person applied for planetary extortion and are waiting for a determination connected whether they volition beryllium capable to enactment successful the EU. Poland would similar to alert the others back.

Michalska said Poland is seeking support from Baghdad to alert the archetypal radical of astir 80 Iraqis successful the coming days connected a chartered flight.

“We are moving with the Iraqi broadside that needs to hold to person its citizens back,” Michalska said.

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Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland. Raf Casert successful Brussels contributed to this report.

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