Kremlin says situation on Belarus-Poland border 'alarming'

MOSCOW

Russia is closely monitoring "the alarming situation" of migrant influx on the Belarus-Poland border and calls on the parties to behave responsibly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"We hope that the situation on the Belarus-Poland border will not evolve into what will threaten Russia's security," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Moscow and Minsk are in constant contact about the situation "through all possible channels, including via special services," the spokesman added.

"There is an exchange of information (between Russia and Belarus). But I repeat once again -- this is a problem, a real problem, which concerns Belarus and Poland in this case. And, of course, we are very concerned in this regard," Peskov stressed.

He added that the most important thing in this situation is the life and health of the large number of people who have massed at the border.

Lavrov blames West for migrant crisis, urges avoiding double standards

In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of the migrant crisis.

Addressing a news conference in Moscow following a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, Lavrov said the current situation is a result of the conflicts and wars unleashed by the West in the Middle East and North Africa in an attempt to impose its vision of life.

"This is how Iraq was bombed under false pretenses, how statehood in Libya was destroyed, and how attacks on Syria were carried out. And all these and other adventures of our Western colleagues have caused unprecedented flows of refugees. With all the steps that are being taken and discussed now, we must not forget where it all started and whose fault it is all happening now," he said.

Therefore, the main responsibility for resolving the migrant crisis lies with those who created the conditions for it to break out, he stressed.

Lavrov said there must be unified standards regarding the reception of refugees.

"Yesterday, in political science discussions, they recalled that when refugees were coming from Turkey to the EU, the EU allocated funding so that they would stay in Turkey. Why it is also impossible to help Belarusians who have needs so that refugees, whom Poland and Lithuania do not want to let into their territory in any way, live in normal conditions?" he questioned.

For his part, Gallagher called on the authorities across Europe to take responsibility and solve "this very serious humanitarian crisis."

"As for the position of the Holy See, we know, for example, that the Bishop of Poland faced some rejection of his position from the authorities," he said.

The archbishop then urged to look at the situation from a point of view of the fate of people who face a very grave situation.

He also agreed there are those who are responsible for this situation, saying "they must assume their responsibility".

Separately, the Kremlin press service said Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged views regarding the migrant situation on the Belarus-Poland and Belarus-Lithuania borders with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.