The E.U. sanctions so far have had a more symbolical than practical dimension
Pawel Zerka remains sceptical about the possible impact of the new EU sanctions on Mr. Lukashenko
Media mentions – Belarus
While other European authoritarians had successfully cast themselves with compelling narratives – ‘Lukashenko has no such narrative.’
Gustav Gressel thinks that Alexander Lukashenka’s self-mythologizing was wearing thin
This is blackmail, and making concessions to a blackmailer like this won’t improve the situation in the long run
As with any form of blackmail, it would be pointless and dangerous to make concessions – It would send a signal to other authoritarian rulers that such tactics work
The Austrian newspaper quotes from Joanna Hosa’s, Gustav Gressel’s and Pavel Slunkin’s latest commentary on the Polish-Belarussian border crisis
If Poland is to cooperate with the EU on this, these two issues have to be disassociated as much as possible
The EU would have to convince Poland that the border crisis won’t be linked to the rule-of-law fight, Joanna Hosa tells DW
Whatever we may think about the Polish rule of law crisis, the EU must act in its own interest
Brussels should separate the crisis at the Polish bor der from the confrontation over the rule of law, thinks Piotr Buras
It’s a crisis of security, which could get much worse […] and it’s a very serious humanitarian crisis, because Europe can’t accept people starving & freezing on the border
We need to extend and tighten sanctions against Lukashenko’s ‘cruel regime […] there’s no way to negotiate anything.’
Piotr Buras comments on the situation on Polish-Belarussian border
Lukashenko is interested in having dead bodies on the Polish-Belarusian border because, from his perspective, that would compromise European values