Sergey Kron
This was the first telephone conversation between the leader of a European country and Lukashenko after the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020. The parties apparently did not disclose the details of the conversation by mutual agreement. Judging by Western media reports, it was Lukashenko who spoke mainly. At the very beginning, Merkel asked the main question: "What are we going to do, Alexander Grigorievich?"
As the official representative of the German government Steffen Seibert told Deutsche Welle, the parties discussed the situation on the border of Belarus with Poland, in particular, the need for humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees staying there. Seibert added that Merkel and Lukashenko agreed to continue discussing these issues.
Lukashenko’s press service, in turn, got off with general protocol phrases. However, as it became known to Novye Izvestia from sources in Minsk, Lukashenko told the German leader that since August the border guards refused to let about 10 thousand migrants into the territory of Belarus. Therefore, Lukashenko and his entourage consider the EU accusations against Minsk about allegedly specially organized migration flows as strange.
Lukashenko told Merkel that about 5,000 Kurds and Syrians, who entered the country legally during the same period, left Belarus as a result of preventive measures.
"He and Merkel are old acquaintances. In a telephone conversation, she called him "Mr. Lukashenko". Naturally, there was no talk of his status or the recognition of the regime by the West. They spoke exclusively about migrants and the crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border. Vladimir Putin really advised Merkel to call Minsk. It was noticeable that Merkel was in a hurry - Belarusian border guards drove the crowd of migrants to the Polish checkpoint and a massive breakthrough of the border was expected. But it did not take place, I think that Lukashenko was waiting for the chancellor's call”, - political analyst Andrey Suzdaltsev said in an interview with Novye Izvestia.
Lukashenko recalled the recent statement of the Munich authorities about their readiness to accept refugees on the Belarusian-Polish border. Moreover, the day before he said: "If the Poles do not provide a humanitarian corridor, they prevent it, we can take everyone on Belavia planes to Munich. We are even ready to send them home." However, something else is also known - Merkel prefers not to joke on this topic and basically does not talk about the transfer of migrants to Germany.
“They say that after a conversation with Merkel, Lukashenko gave an order to cancel all direct flights of Belavia from the countries of the Middle East and Africa”, - Suzdaltsev said. - Nonsense! And what about flights from Istanbul, Abu Dhabi. Migrant flows to Belarus continue. Lukashenko has started a dangerous game!
According to the expert, the campaign launched by the Belarusian agitprop to blame Poland and the European Union for the plight of migrants detained at the Polish border does not evoke a response from ordinary citizens of Belarus. It is no secret that the migrants paid for their trip with thousands of euros, they look good and come from countries that were bombed decades ago. With the same success, Belarusian television could talk about the victims of the Crusades.
“It is clear that the refugees, following the example of their compatriots who have already settled in Germany, are not going to work hard on the construction sites of German capitalism, but hope to receive an allowance that will allow them to live completely comfortably”, - says Andrey Suzdaltsev.
Let us remind you that the European Union accuses the Lukashenko regime of deliberately provoking a tense situation and organizing the transfer of thousands of migrants to the borders of the European Union in response to European sanctions. In response to the "hybrid attack" of Minsk, the EU announced the introduction of a fifth package of sanctions, which will include measures against airlines transporting migrants from the Middle East to Belarus.