Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has sparked a crisis in Europe, especially as neighboring Belarus aids and abets the conflict, which in turn sparks the need for additional security measures.
Poland, an American ally that borders Belarus, has apparently started construction of a border wall in order to protect its national security interests, with 40 miles already constructed within a few weeks’ time.
According to a an official with the Polish Border Guard, the nation anticipates the wall to be fully completed by the end of June, given that the border running between both nations spans approximately 260 miles.
Construction on the wall between Poland and Belarus commenced during the summer of the previous year, which was roughly six months before the invasion began on February 24. In response to the invasion, numerous migrants fled Belarus for the safe haven of the European Union, a significant percentage of which went straight to Poland.
The European Union has since accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of actively organizing a migrant rush straight to Poland’s borders in order to elevate pressure on the West.
Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has long been a staunch ally of Russia and has assisted the nation in its military aims in Ukraine.
As the weather has warmed, migrant rushes have increased with frequency once again, amplifying tensions on the border.
Initially, the fencing started as an 8-foot tall barbed wire fence in August 2021. By the end of January, the fence had grown into an 18-foot high fixed barrier, including surveillance cameras and motion detectors.
In total, Poland is believed to have spent 366 million Euros, which is equivalent to roughly $386 million in dollars, per the commentary in one report.
Poland’s response to a migrant rush stands in stark contrast to the response employed by the White House, which remains eager to eliminate Title 42 restrictions for migrants.
