Migrants face hypothermia and broken bones in freezing forests as Poland-Belarus crisis deepens

The thousands of Belarus, which has denied all the allegations, said Wednesday it was seeking a “joint response” with Russia to “unfriendly actions” from EU states. According to Belarus state media BelTA, Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei claimed the West was abusing the human rights theme to exert political pressure. In a press conference following talks between Russian and Belarusian foreign ministers in Moscow, Makei said that “a large-scale complex aggression has been unleashed against Belarus,” which cannot remain unanswered. Russian warplanes performed patrols over Belarus airspace on Wednesday. “These are measures of adequate response to the evolving situation both in the air and on the ground,” the Belarus Defense Ministry said on its Telegram channel. Joint flights with the two countries’ air forces will be “performed on a regular basis” going forward, it added.The two long-range Russian Tu-22m3 bombers practiced “issues of interaction with ground control points” with armed forces of both countries, according to the Russian ministry of defense. “Children stranded near the border with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia since the end of August have been struggling with hypothermia, exhaustion, and hunger, while their mental and physical health have deteriorated from their perilous journeys and the drawn-out situation they’re facing,” Bay said. “We’ve seen footage of entire families pushed back to Belarus, and their request for international protection and immediate help ignored.”Bay said it was “unacceptable that the lives of children and their families are being used as a bargaining chip in a regional conflict” before calling on the EU to provide access “so they can request international protection.” US State Department Spokesman Ned Price reiterated Washington’s support for Poland on Tuesday, saying “The United States will continue to stand by Poland and all our partners in Europe who have been threatened by Belarus’ unacceptable actions.”