Poland to propose EU “Marshall Plan” for Belarus

notes from poland ^ | Sep 14, 2020 | notes from poland

[NachOsten]

Poland’s government will present the EU with a “Marshall Plan” for Belarus that would offer the country economic support if it agreed to void last month’s contested elections and instead hold a free and fair vote.

The plan will be presented on behalf of the Visegrad Group of countries, which includes Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as Poland. Later this week, Polish-Lithuanian intergovernmental discussions about the situation in Belarus are also due to take place. It is then hoped that Poland’s prime minister, Matuesz Morawiecki, will present the plan at the next meeting of EU heads of state.

However, the Polish government admits it may face an uphill struggle to gain support. “Unfortunately, not all countries in the EU show as much empathy [regarding Belarus] as Poland, the Baltic states, and the countries of our region,” said Michał Dworczyk, the head of the prime minister’s office, today.

Dworczyk, however, hailed the approach of the domestic opposition, saying that today’s meeting, which lasted over three hours, was “very fruitful”. All political forces in Poland agree on supporting “the sovereignty of Belarus, which consequently gives security and stability for Poland”, Dworczyk added.

But he acknowledged that the one party that had the strongest “divergence of views” from the others is the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja), the smallest of Poland’s parliamentary groups. Its leaders have previously urged a more restrained approach to Belarus.

The Polish government has been active in expressing support for the Belarusian opposition, who are currently protesting President Alexander Lukashenko’s proclaimed re-election last month amid widespread evidence of vote rigging.

Last week, Lukashenko’s opponent in those elections, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, met with Morawiecki in Poland during her first trip abroad since going into exile in Luthuania.

[NachOsten]

I don't understand this interest from V4 countries to "help" Belarus.
I think it is more attack against Russia's influence it the country then anything else.

Sick of all these do gooders!

[kingtom]

me too, let them eat cake

[2banana]

Kinda like the way obama and Clinton “helped” the Ukraine?

[NachOsten]

Not Kinda , exactly!

[NachOsten]

Russia accuses Poland of leading international “interference” in Belarus

Russia has accused Poland of violating the “accepted norms of international law” by seeking to interfere in Belarus’ internal affairs and undermine its sovereignty.

“The Polish authorities continue to openly interfere in the domestic affairs of the Republic of Belarus,” said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a press briefing.

“The Polish leaders are at the forefront of the EU’s unfriendly policy towards Belarus and they promote the toughening of EU sanctions against Minsk,” she continued.
“Belarus unequivocally sees Poland’s actions as obvious attempts to interfere in its internal affairs.”

Her comments follow a diplomatic spat between Belarus and Poland last week, after embattled Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko accused Warsaw of seeking to reclaim former Polish lands that are now part of western Belarus.

What's not to like about this woman?

[DIRTYSECRET]

Looks like a military uniform. She can beat me anytime.

[Mr. Rabbit]

Not our circus.
Not out monkeys.

[DesertRhino]

They don’t care about Belarus, they care about expanding the EU and NATO directly up to the Russian border. Belarus is a horrible place, but replacing it with the EU as a new Cold War pawn is little better.

The Bloodlands continue their decades-long adventures.

[DesertRhino]

Lukashenko is basically the last of the old Stalinist types out there in eastern Europe. There are no good guys in this mix up.

Russia is pretty serious about not having NATO move right up to their border so they are happy for Belarus to stay just how it is. The EU is an aggressive expansionist entity and intends to do exactly that... so they need to pull a Ukraine in Belarus.

The very last concern for anyone involved there is a better way of life in Belarus.

[NachOsten]

precisely

[dfwgator]

Piłsudski would approve.

[dfwgator]

Not our circus. Not out monkeys.

You know that's a Polish phrase, right.

"Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy"

[NachOsten]

I am sure that Poland wouldn't mind chopping of a piece of Belarus to boot.

The more things Change, the more they stay the same...