Polish foreign ministry: Minsk could still change policy, drop support for Russian aggression

January 4, BPN. There is still time for Minsk to change its policy and stop supporting Russian aggression, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told BPN, summing up 2022 and expectations of 2023 in Polish-Belarusian relations.

“Belarus supported Russian aggression against Ukraine both politically and logistically. We unequivocally condemn this decision,” the foreign ministry’s press office said.

It went on to say that “after the brutal suppression of Belarusians’ peaceful protests that began after the fraudulent presidential election in August 2020, and after the artificially created migration crisis in 2021, 2022 brought us the biggest war in Europe since 1945.”

“The cooling of our bilateral relations has had a negative effect on the Belarusian authorities’ attitude towards Poland and the Polish national minority,” the ministry said.

Poland will continue efforts “to make the Belarusian authorities depart from the national discrimination policy and persecution of the Polish minority that includes ruining its identity and historical heritage in Belarus,” it added.

Warsaw “will continue to support the Belarusians forced to flee their homeland and the Belarusian democratic opposition.” “We use every opportunity to urge the Belarusian authorities to release and rehabilitate all political prisoners, laying the foundation for a dialogue to resolve Belarus’ internal crisis and restore Belarusians’ trust,” the foreign ministry said.

“Bilateral relations between neighboring countries require open channels of communication, because any crisis should ultimately be solved through dialogue.” Poland “has always supported and will always support sovereign and independent Belarus,” the ministry said.