The UK has decided to send additional troops into Eastern Europe, amid tensions in Belarus following thousands of migrants who gathered at Belarus’ borders hoping to enter the EU.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Defence stated that 140 military engineers would be deployed to Poland. A separate team was also sent to Lithuania.
Recent months have seen a new European migration crisis in Belarus. It was accused of holding thousands of migrants desperate to cross the border into the EU from Belarus. Tensions rose and the Belarusian government was arrested.
The promise of a better life for migrants in Britain and the EU was made by Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator. However, the secret police and border guards orchestrated multiple failed attempts to break the border illegally.
Lukashenko wanted to punish European nations for the sanctions he had imposed upon them for manipulating a presidential vote.
According to the West, he conspired with traffickers gangs in an egregious bid to create migrant chaos throughout Europe.
According to the MoD, ‘Poland, Lithuania and their Baltic neighbor Latvia have felt significant pressure from the influx of migrants from Belarus that has been facilitated by Lukashenko’s regime over a period of time’.
Boris Johnson, along with Western leaders, has pledged to build a united front against Russian hostility to Ukraine. Boris Johnson also pledged that the UK would use all diplomatic and economic tools at its disposal.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Defence stated that 140 Polish military engineers would be deployed to Poland. A separate team was also sent to Lithuania. Photographed: Border troops from Belarus and Poland
The Royal Engineers regiment will work with the Polish military at the border with Belarus, including providing ‘infrastructure support’, according to the MoD
Scene at border weeks before: Officers and soldiers observe as migrants crowd the Poland-Belarus border close to Kuznica (Poland), November 12, 2021.
The Royal Engineers expects 140 troops to arrive in Poland by the end of December. This deployment will last until April.
According to the MoD, they would work alongside the Polish military on the Belarus border and provide ‘infrastructure support.
These troops will be added to 150 British personnel currently stationed in Poland under NATO’s increased forward presence.
The MoD stated that a British reconnaissance team will visit Lithuania to see if it can provide any assistance or expertise in countering current pressures.
From December 31st, 140 Royal Engineers troops will be arriving in Poland. The deployment is expected to continue until April. Above: British troops on the Poland-Belarus border
British troops converse with their Polish counterparts as engineers were added to the border between Poland and Belarus on Thursday
Vladimir Putin met with Joe Biden, the US president, on Tuesday during a two hour virtual summit. In response to Western military assistance for Ukraine, Putin had previously threatened invasion
Two-hour video chat on Tuesday between Joe Biden, the US president, and Putin showed that they warned each other about an invasion of Ukraine. Above: Russian Reservists fired rockets on Tuesday during an exercise close to the Ukrainian border
The Russian military presence close to the Ukrainian border has heightened tensions.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who took up the role of Chief of the Defence Staff last week, said of the build-up of Russian troops: ‘It is deeply worrying. The significance of the worst scenarios in terms of a full invasion of Ukraine would be on a scale not seen in Europe since World War Two.’
UK defence sources believe President Putin’s likely objective is to invade and occupy eastern Ukraine in 2022 and then seek a diplomatic solution, including the creation of a pro-Russian state there.
In a virtual summit lasting two hours, Mr Putin faced US President Joe Biden Tuesday. He previously threatened to invade Ukraine in response to Western military support.
UK defence sources believe President Putin’s likely objective is to invade and occupy eastern Ukraine in 2022. Image: Russian soldiers practice sniper tactics in the snow.
The camp, which contains five Russian battalions, was photographed near Yelna.
Russia currently has 50 battalions that include up to 94,000 troops at its border with Ukraine. Additional 80,000 to 100,000 soldiers are kept in reserve. They will soon be ready for invasion, according to the US.
Putin also tried to get assurances from NATO that Ukraine (a former Soviet republic) would not be allowed to join the defense alliance. He has described such a scenario as a ‘red line’.
On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine would not be strategic.
Elle stated that Russia must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
That same day, Ukraine warned of a ‘bloody massacre’ and five million Ukrainian refugees fleeing into Europe if Russia pulled to trigger and invaded Kiev.
Satellite imagery has revealed large new Russian camps, including tanks and troops, along the border. This is just as Putin is continuing to build his force on Europe’s doorstep.
According to US experts, there could be as many as 175,000 troops occupying the Ukraine border.
Ben Wallace, Defense Secretary: “Our unwavering commitment to European Security is undeniable and we will continue to offer support to allies.”
“This non-combat assistance will help Polish efforts to defend their borders and transfer vital engineering knowledge.