Putin Warns West "Do Not Cross Red Line" Over Ukraine and Belarus Situation

"We Sent a Warning to the West, Effects Are Showing... The Current Situation Must Last Longer"
Belarus to EU: "Accept 2,000 Refugees Pushed to European Borders"
EU Rejects Belarus' Demand... "Belarus Is Responsible for Resolving This Crisis"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a strong warning to the Western world not to cross Russia's "red line." Amid rising regional tensions due to recent concerns over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin's warning has raised fears that the situation will not be easily resolved. In Belarus, some refugees gathered at the Polish border have been repatriated, but thousands of refugees remain, signaling a prolonged conflict between Europe and Russia over the refugee crisis.

On the 18th (local time), President Putin told diplomats at the Russian Foreign Ministry that Western countries "are not taking our red lines seriously" and emphasized that "Russia must be guaranteed security from a long-term perspective."

He added, "Western countries are recognizing the warnings we have recently sent (regarding Ukraine). This is having an effect," and assessed that "some tensions are being created in the region."

It is interpreted that Russia, which has deployed troops near the Ukrainian border, intentionally sought to create tension.

Earlier, U.S. authorities unofficially warned European countries to prepare for a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

President Putin said, "The current situation should last as long as possible," adding, "This is the way to prevent some Western countries from causing unnecessary conflicts with Russia."

Regarding the refugee crisis occurring at the Belarus-Poland border, President Putin criticized Western countries for exploiting the crisis to pressure the Belarusian government.

Previously, there were suspicions that Belarus was "pushing" refugees from the Middle East to the borders of Poland and other European countries to pressure the European Union (EU) to lift sanctions imposed over the forced landing of a foreign national aircraft.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that Belarusian authorities, in coordination with the Iraqi government, plan to repatriate 325 Iraqi refugees gathered at the Polish border.

However, the refugee crisis is expected to prolong as the EU rejected Belarus's demand to accept about 2,000 of the remaining thousands of refugees at the border.

The European Commission stated there would be no negotiations with Belarus and took a tough stance, saying, "The responsibility for resolving this crisis planned by the Alexander Lukashenko regime lies with the Lukashenko regime."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also told reporters on the same day that "the Lukashenko regime is weaponizing refugees" and hinted at additional sanctions against Belarus.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.