Lukashenko threatens neighbors with drugs and illegals

Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko threatened
on May 26 to stop policing for drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Pravda.com.ua quotes Lukashenko sa saying, “We stopped drugs and migrants – now
you will eat and catch them yourself.”

Lukashenko’s statement comes as Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia,
and France closed their airspace to Belarusian flights. The closures are
responses to Belarus forcibly diverting to Minsk a Ryanair flight from Athens
to Vilnius on May 23.

Ukraine also suspended air travel with Belarus and
Ukrainian aircraft are not allowed to operate over Belarusian airspace.
However, Ukraine has not closed Ukrainian airspace to Belarusian aircraft.

James Hydzik: The ramifications of Lukashenko’s threat may affect Ukraine greatly.
If he makes good on the threat, illicit trade flows are likely to strengthen
temporarily through Belarus. However, as the EU tightens the Belarusian border
further, much of that flow could be redirected through Ukraine given the long
and porous border between Ukraine and Belarus. The stress on Ukraine’s border
control systems both to the north and the west could be severe in the mid term.