OAN’s James Meyers
4:10 PM – Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Poland is deploying thousands of troops at its border with Belarus. The move comes as ongoing tensions between the two sides are continuously increasing.
Poland is a part of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supporting Ukraine. Belarus is Russia’s ally.
This alliance is resulting in an escalation of tensions between both sides.
Since the 2020 presidential election, Poland has consistently backed Ukraine as a nation. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had ended up winning a sixth term in the vote, however, officials in Poland strongly believed that the voting process was rigged.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Poland condemned the attack and has supported the NATO ally with military equipment and humanitarian aid. The aid included hosting more than 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine.
In the meantime, Belarusian state officials have formed a group called “the Patriot Force Command” to strengthen military ties with Russia. Furthermore, Russia has continuously accused Poland of allegations that they will annex western regions of Ukraine.
Poland’s border with Belarus is considered a strategic spot called the Suwalki Gap, which borders three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It also separates Belarus from Kalingrad, which is considered a heavily militarized zone by Russia.
Experts view the Suwalki Gap as a potential building block to lead to confrontation between Russia and NATO. They also worry Russia could possibly cut off the gap and thus cut off the three Baltic states.
Poland is holding what some consider pivotal parliamentary elections on October 15th. The current political party has been in office since 2015 and experts predict that, if re-elected, the party will continue to increase its military spending.
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