MINSK: Belarus’ borders remained open Friday after President Alexander Lukashenko announced they would be closed as he warned of a possible “war” with neighbouring countries, whom he accuses of supporting a burgeoning opposition movement.
The country’s border guard service said on its Telegram channel that “checks have been stepped up” and “tactical reinforcements have been deployed”, but that “checkpoints are permitting people to enter and leave”.
Lukashenko, a strongman who has ruled for 26 years, had told a women’s forum Thursday that “half” of the Belarusian army would be deployed to the country’s borders with Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine.
The frontiers themselves would be closed in view of the threat of a “hot war”, he added.
“I don’t want our country to enter a war, and even less for Belarus, Poland and Lithuania to become the scene of military actions, where other people’s problems would be sorted out,“ Lukashenko said.
Since claiming a landslide re-election victory in Aug 9 polls, the man sometimes called “Europe’s last dictator” has faced massive street protests calling for him to step down.
His government claims that the opposition movement is being used as a puppet by Western countries.
Lukashenko has deployed the army to Belarus’ borders several times faced with supposed foreign threats, most recently pointing his soldiers towards Russia over the summer.
While before the election he accused Moscow of wanting him gone to more easily subjugate Belarus, Lukashenko has U-turned since the vote, leaning on President Vladimir Putin for support against the protesters.
While Russia was at first distrustful, it has promised support and blamed the West led by the U.S for the protests. — AFP
