Poland refutes Belarus President Lukashenko's accusation amid rising tensions

Poland has recently stated that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's comments about how Poland may be plotting to take over its neighbour in the event the political situation in Belarus deteriorates further are ‘unacceptable’. As per reports, the tensions between the two countries have worsened days after the comments made by Lukashenko. Belarus has been in turmoil since August 9, since the presidential election results which saw Lukashenko win were said to be rigged.

Poland has called Belarus' accusations as baseless

While speaking on Polish public radio, an aide to Poland's president, Krzysztof Szczerski stated that Belarus’ presidents were unacceptable and that no one in Poland would take advantage of the political turmoil in Belarus. Faced with mass protests on a scale never before seen in Belarus, Lukashenko requested help from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin has displayed willingness to use force in Belarus if need be.

In regards to this, Szczerski stated that further action will depend on how Wester Europe reacts. So far the West has reacted with trepidation to the situation in Belarus, fearful of Russian military intervention similar to the one that occurred in Ukraine in 2014. If Russian aggression and posturing in this situation are not checked, Russia will keep expanding the ‘Brezhnev Doctrine’ as per Szczerski. The Brezhnev Doctrine refers to Russian foreign policy wherein it interferes in the internal politics of former USSR countries if an event takes a turn in a direction which are counterproductive to the Kremlin.

Read: Stoltenberg: NATO Closely Watching Belarus Developments

Read: Belarus Turns Up Pressure On Protesters, Detains Over 50

In addition to accusing Poland, Lukashenko has also stated that Belarus’s neighbours are waging a ‘hybrid-war’ against it and that their demands that fresh elections be held is pure ‘diplomatic carnage’. Both the United States and the European Union have criticised the August 9 election results that saw Lukashenko return to power. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994 and has claimed that the mass protests in Belarus are just a ploy by the west and foreign nations to destabilise Belarus.

Read: Belarus Opposition Candidate Speaks In EU Parliament

Read: Belarus Leader Accuses Neighbors Of Waging "hybrid War"