Poland has announced that they are to send around 10,000 troops to the Belarusian border as tensions continue to mount.
The Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the soldiers will join border guards in an attempt to “scare away” any possible threats.
Speaking to public radio Blaszczak said, “About 10,000 soldiers will be on the border, of which 4,000 will directly support the Border Guard and 6,000 will be in the reserve.
“We move the army closer to the border with Belarus to scare away the aggressor so that it does not dare to attack us.”
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Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall, the former deputy chief of the defence staff, told Sky News, Poland are being “cautious” by building up their troop numbers on the Belarusian border.
He said, “I wouldn’t say they’ve been overcautious. They’re being cautious” and that Poland are rearming and they are assessing the dangers with Belarus.
He added, “They’ve had a very long, rather tricky relationship with Belarus,” he added.
“In many ways, God helps those who help themselves.”
On Wednesday Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik said 2,000 troops will be sent to the Belarusian border which comes as Polish officials have concerns of growing numbers of Wagner fighters building up near the area.
Last month the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said that Wagner fighters are “good” for Belarus and the army as they are “not a threat” to their country.
Lukashenko who is Vladimir Putin’s staunchest allies, said the Wagner mercenary are “the most prepared” fighters who have fought all over the world.
Poland have been expressing their concerns in recent weeks that thousands of Wagner mercenaries are training alongside with Belarusian troops which has been seen as a threat.
A Polish official said end of last month, “Poland’s borders are secure, we are monitoring the situation on our eastern border on an ongoing basis and we are prepared for various scenarios as the situation develops.”
The Kremlin has said that Poland’s move to bolster their defences on the border as “aggressive” and the spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the move is a “cause for concern.”
Peskov told reporters, “Of course it is a cause for concern. The aggressiveness of Poland is a reality.
“Such a hostile attitude towards Belarus and the Russian Federation requires heightened attention [from our side].”
