Relations between Poland and Belarus deteriorated significantly before the joint military maneuvers of Russia and Belarus Zapad. Fearing possible provocations, the Polish government decided to close the border on September 12. The crossings were reopened on the night of September 24-25, just before the visit of the head of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Warsaw. Poland, which annually exports goods worth USD 30 billion to the European Union. by rail through Belarus, decided to open the border conditionally.
According to “Rzeczpospolita”, the Polish-Belarusian border has been opened under certain rules and may be closed again at any time. The daily lists the conditions that the Polish authorities impose on Lukashenko in exchange for opening all border crossings.
Conditions for Belarus
The first demand from the Polish side is to end the migration crisis at the border. The second condition is the release of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist sentenced to eight years in a labor camp. The third issue concerns cooperation in identifying the perpetrators of the murder of Polish soldier Mateusz Sitka.
According to information obtained by “Rzeczpospolita”, representatives of the Polish government emphasize that Belarusians are aware of the list of Polish priorities, but so far no progress has been recorded in these areas.
Possible opening of further border crossings
The Belarusian leader was to receive an offer to open closed border crossings if he decided to release Poczobut and calm the situation on the border. “Rzeczpospolita” indicates that this is probably the crossing in Bobrowniki, which was closed in 2023 by the Law and Justice government after Poczobut's conviction. The possibility of opening the crossing in Kuźnica, which is still closed to both passenger and goods traffic, is not ruled out.
The situation on the Polish-Belarusian border remains tense, and further decisions will depend on the reaction of the authorities in Minsk to Polish demands.
