What's happened
NATO allies express concern over the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus, near the border with Poland.
Why it matters
The presence of Russian-linked mercenaries in Belarus raises concerns about regional security and potential destabilization in Eastern Europe.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera reports that NATO allies are worried about the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus, accusing Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko of opening the migration route as an act of hybrid warfare. AP News also highlights the concerns of NATO allies and mentions that Poland has increased its military presence along the border in response. The Independent and AP News both mention the tensions at the Poland-Belarus border due to the arrival of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, with Poland accusing Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize the region.
How we got here
Tensions at the Poland-Belarus border have been ongoing for the past couple of years, with large numbers of migrants and refugees attempting to enter Poland and Lithuania. The arrival of Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus has further heightened concerns.
More on these topics
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Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus and formerly known as Byelorussia or Belorussia, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe.
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Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki is a Polish economist, historian, and politician who has been the Prime Minister of Poland since December 2017.
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 North American and European countries.