State Department reacts to Lukashenko's words about Wagner group's intentions to target Poland
US calls Belarusian dictator's statement irresponsible
The United States has said it will defend every inch of NATO territory after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko made it clear that Wagner Group forces in Belarus are ready to target Poland.
"This is another irresponsible statement by Lukashenko," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, VOA reports.
"I don't know what else to see here," Miller said, commenting on Lukashenko's statement. "I would say that there is only one country in the region that has demonstrated not only the intention but also the willingness to invade its neighbors, and that is russia, not Poland or any other country."
"So I want to reiterate that our alliance with Poland is strong," the spokesman went on to say, "Poland is a NATO member and, of course, we will defend every inch of NATO territory if necessary."
On Sunday, vladimir putin and Alexander Lukashenko held talks in St. Petersburg.
"Wagnerians started to bother us. 'We want to go to the West. Let us go.' I said, 'Why to the West?' 'Well, to go on an excursion to Warsaw, to Rzeszów'," Lukashenko said.
In the Polish city of Rzeszów, there is an airfield where military equipment and weapons supplied to Ukraine by Western countries are delivered. Subsequently, they are sent to Ukraine by land.
According to Lukashenko, by agreement with putin, he is "keeping" the Wagner mercenaries in the center of Belarus, rather than redeploying them to the western borders, "because they are in a bad mood." putin smiled in response to Lukashenko's words about the "excursion" to Warsaw and Rzeszów.
At the same meeting, putin said that all plans for cooperation between russia and Belarus were being fulfilled and exceeded. And Lukashenko stated that Poland was moving forces to the western border of Belarus and said that it should not be allowed to occupy western Ukraine. According to Lukashenko, Belarus and russia should be ready to "help the population of Western Ukraine."
Background. To recap, the Polish government commented on putin's statements about Poland's alleged intentions to occupy western Ukraine.
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