Government officials from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia demanded on Monday that Belarus expel the Russian mercenary group Wagner from its territory amid heightened tensions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The four countries – all of which are NATO members and, with the exception of Estonia, share a border with Belarus – said in a statement rack that the presence of Wagner fighters was a threat to their territorial integrity.
Poland and Lithuania have already closed several border controls in recent months due to security concerns. Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski spoke at a press conference in Warsaw with his colleagues from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia: said that the four countries would close all their border crossings with Belarus “if a critical incident occurs.”
The officials’ comments came just a day after the death of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, Wagner’s leader, was confirmed, leaving the group of mercenaries in an uncertain future. The fighters moved to Belarus after Mr Prigozhin staged a short-lived mutiny against the Russian military leadership in June.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko offered exile to Mr. Prigozhin and his troops under an agreement that ended the uprising.
Earlier this month, the leaders of Poland and Lithuania warned of “provocations” and “sabotage actions” by Wagner forces. And Poland – where the nationalist ruling Law and Justice party has tried to portray itself as tough on national security in the run-up to general elections in October – sent another 2,000 troops to reinforce its border with Belarus.
Mr Prigozhin’s death has only increased uncertainty over Wagner’s future as Western officials say the Kremlin is considering ways to bring it under more direct control while preserving its fighting power.
In recent weeks it was reported that some of the Wagner troops stationed in Belarus – numbering at least 4,000 men according to Polish authorities – had left the country because of low wages. But their whereabouts are unclear, raising concern among Western countries.
Border tensions with Belarus predate the invasion of Ukraine, particularly on the issue of border crossings, which was mentioned in the joint statement. In 2021, Polish and European authorities accused Mr Lukashenko of luring migrants from the Middle East and Africa with flights and visas and then pushing them into Poland to destabilize the country and gain diplomatic clout. In response, Poland built a 5.5 meter high barbed wire wall 185 kilometers from the border.