Poland deploys troops to Belarus border

Poland dispatched 12,000 soldiers to guard the border and push back migrants near Grodno, Belarus.  Videos show thousands of people amassing at the razor wire fence that marks NATO’s eastern border. The migrants are mostly asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Asia. State media reported the soldiers were spraying chemicals at those who were cutting down the fence or trying to jump over it. Police helicopters patrolled overhead, and many migrants set up camp in a nearby forest to stay warm. Lithuania also deployed troops to its border in anticipation of a similar mass migration attempt.

Why are so many trying to cross? Polish officials accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of “weaponizing migrants” by sending them to the border. Government spokespersons said Lukashenko is trying to pressure the European Union to drop sanctions on Minsk after Belarus shut down pro-democracy protests. Belarus soldiers were seen escorting the migrants to the Polish border.

Dig deeper: Listen to Jenny Lind Schmitt report on Christians living under Lukashenko’s dictatorship on The World and Everything in It podcast.