PM declares readiness to aid Poles in Belarus

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted on Wednesday that having spoken by phone with the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andżelika Borys, he had told her that Poland was ready to grant humanitarian aid to Poles in Belarus.

The PM added that he hoped for joint action with the EU.

"Currently, social dissatisfaction in Belarus has achieved an unprecedented level. Violence is not a solution, only the source of the problem," the PM wrote on Twitter.

Morawiecki also referred to his talk with Borys on his Facebook page.

"The leader (Andżelika Borys - PAP) underscored that the Union of Poles in Belarus is not politically engaged, however it represents an important part of Belarusian civil society," he wrote. "The pressures also affect our compatriots in Belarus, as well as activists of the union. Many of them have been detained. The Polish Ambassador has also intervened in the matter of the detention of three citizens of our country. A beaten journalist of TVP Polonia is in a Grodno hospital, feels ok and does not need help."

The prime minister noted that "both Poles living in Poland and in Belarus, express solidarity with the victims of the pacification." "I have declared the government's full support," he wrote.

In Morawiecki's opinion, "a solution to the difficult situation (in Belarus) can occur only on the road of dialogue and a return to the observance of fundamental civil freedoms, which should lead to a compromise."

The prime minister expressed hope that common action would be taken by the European Union.

Violent clashes erupted in Minsk and other cities in Belarus following the announcement of Sunday's presidential election results, with protesters claiming they had been falsified. At least one person was killed in violence between demonstrators and security forces, with over 5,000 arrests on Monday and Tuesday according to the Belarusian interior ministry.