Madam Ursula Announces Her Visit to EU–Belarus Border

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has embarked on a journey through seven European Union countries bordering Russia or Belarus. As part of this visit, she plans to inspect the borders with Belarus located within Poland and Lithuania.

Notably, the head of the European Commission has chosen to personally oversee the easternmost flank of NATO. On August 29, she visited Latvia, and subsequently will travel to Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia. Finland, Bulgaria, and Romania are also on her itinerary. According to the European Commission's statement, these countries are all designated as "frontline" states. The declared purpose of her mission is to strengthen European unity in the face of Russia.

The Belarusian side welcomes the European Commission’s attention to the situation at the EU’s external borders.

Ruslan Varankov, Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Department and spokesperson for Belarusian Foreign Ministry:

"It is important to draw attention to the long queues at border crossings, where people—including EU citizens—are forced to spend hours, sometimes even days, waiting to cross."

It would also be useful to examine the situation in the border forests, where unmarked graves of migrants are found—victims of attempts to escape the consequences of crises caused by Western policies in their homelands.

From Belarusian perspective, particular concern arises over the security issues stemming from Poland and Lithuania’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. In the absence of official information, it cannot be definitively ruled out that landmines or other obstacles have been placed along our borders.

"We would like the conditions of detention for those subjected to so-called 'pushbacks' to be examined," the statement from the Foreign Ministry reads. "Their testimonies could shed light on the actual practices of Poland and Lithuania regarding adherence to European democratic procedures and standards. It would also be prudent to question Poland, as the largest beneficiary of European funds, about the amount of EU resources allocated to border barriers and the transparency of their utilization. Additionally, attention should be paid to the environmental impact of such structures and their compliance with the EU's green agenda and commitments to biodiversity preservation."

The foreign policy department further believes that "from a strategic standpoint, it would be relevant to discuss with military and political leadership in Poland and Lithuania the implementation of the Vienna Document and confidence-building measures with Belarus. It would also be useful to seek clarification regarding repeated claims about 'preparing Russian and Belarusian troops for an attack on Europe by 2030,' especially as the EU increases military expenditures to 5% of GDP at the expense of social programs."

The issue of historical memory also warrants particular attention. "It is indeed perplexing that the dislocated Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania shares its number with a WWII unit involved in the attack on Belarus in 1941. Let us recall that during the Nazi occupation, one in three Belarusians was killed," the statement notes.

"We believe that such visits could foster constructive dialogue and mutual understanding with neighboring EU countries—provided that all issues we have raised are addressed honestly, openly, and comprehensively. Otherwise, it risks being merely a tourist trip under the glare of camera flashes," the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.