300 migrants: mainly young men from Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Somalia.
First, it was Poland. Putin’s client regime in Belarus began sending massive numbers of Iraqis into Poland.
Migrants who reached Minsk were put up in at least three government-owned hotels, according to Latvia’s defense minister, Artis Pabriks, and Franak Viacorka, a senior adviser to a Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Mr. Pabriks said that Belarusian intelligence agents had been involved in transferring migrants to the borders, and that military buses were used.
Bayar Awat, an Iraqi Kurd stranded on the Belarusian side of the Polish border, said that Belarusian guards had helped his group reach the border by pointing out a route that bypassed the official border crossing and emerged near a gap cut in the border fence.
“The Belarus police guided us to the forest, then pointed directions to lead us inside the forest to keep us away from the official border crossing,” he said.
On Thursday, a Belarusian soldier was overheard on the phone ordering an Iraqi Kurd to direct a group of 400 to 500 migrants from the Lithuanian border toward the Polish border.
Now, Russia is doing this even more directly with Finland.
Finland has accused Russia of handing out bicycles and foot-scooters to migrants to help them cross the border as part of a plan to destabilise Europe.
Antti Häkkänen, the Finnish defence minister, also accused the Kremlin of dipping into its “playbook” on hybrid war by encouraging migrants to enter the country without the correct documents.
Finnish officials said that the timing of the migrant surge from Russia was not a coincidence. Finland joined Nato this year, angering the Kremlin, and will host its first major naval exercise as a member of the Western military alliance on Monday.
Finnish media reported that 300 migrants, mainly young men from Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Somalia, had crossed into Finland from Russia this week, up from near zero in a normal week.
Some people keep pushing the “Putin is defending Christianity” shtick. Sending Muslims to invade a Christian country is the opposite of defending Christianity.
Putin has done this to Poland, Finland and now Estonia.
Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said on Thursday Russia extended a provocative measure, originally aimed at Finland, to Estonia by “deliberately” allowing asylum seekers without visas or residence permits to reach a crossing point on its shared border, according to news outlet Delfi.
Läänemets also said that Estonia has so far returned every person trying to cross the border without documents or permission, reinforced its preparedness and it was in close communication with Finland and other neighboring countries.
The larger takeaway is that Islamic migration is a weapon of war. It’s been used that way by Turkey and Russia. We should start treating it the same way.
The Kremlin accused Finland of taking a path of “destroying bilateral relations” over Finland’s decision to close some border crossings with Russia, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Nov. 17.
“Finland has chosen the path of confrontation with Russia. From the Kremlin’s point of view, this is a big mistake,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“How dare you try to protect yourselves from our attack on you.” Sounds familiar.
Wellington says
Putin is such an evil man—and a monumental fool as well. Anyone denying this is not a person I need extend any kind of respect.
Uma says
Putin is doing a blunder
Lisel Sipes says
He is using an explosive that blows up when it feels like it, not when the user wants it to.
Uma says
Dear Lisel Sipes
Good Evening,
That is more dangerous.
Regards,
Uma
tony wilson says
Come, wake up! Finland had no problems with Russia until the West started to push NATO, now Finland is hostile to Russia. The price is now, like Ukraine, is now being paid. Should have remained neutral.
Wellington says
Finland’s “neutrality” was a subservient neutrality. To state, as you have, that “Finland had no problems with Russia until the West started to push NATO,” is to blame the victim, not the perpetrator. Think back to the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40 for further confirmation of this. Oh yeah, there is a long legacy here.
An obedient Finland to Russia, which is what you seem to think OK, is not OK for all those, in Finland and elsewhere, who adhere to the idea that sovereign nations should indeed be sovereign. And proving again, though I think you will miss this, a la George Kennan, Russia looks upon its neighbors as vassals or enemies.
This is the way Russia has long looked upon Finland as it has upon so many other peoples, including the Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians and Poles. No more I say. Screw Russia for this. It needs to grow up but under Putin it never will. Your turn if you care.
tony wilson says
Hi, you have proof of this, do Fins feel they are now sovereign? Under NATO control??? Tell me what sort of boarder control was there? Tanks, and the like?? There is now!
Wellington says
Proof of what? Be more specific.
What NATO nation, NATO being the greatest military alliance in history for the preservation and promotion of freedom, bar none, is not sovereign?
It is you who has the burden of proof, not someone like me refuting your ridiculous assertions. Oh yeah, give it a shot, if you can. I say you can’t.
tony wilson says
Finland has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 4 April 2023. Sees of the rest of your comment
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Russia was actually fine w/ all its neighbors under both Yeltsin, and until 2012, under Putin as well. On this site, on the Glazov Gang, check out Glazov’s interview w/ Andrei Illarianov. Illarionov is not some crank: he was a former advisor to President Putin, and pointed out the role that William Burns, today CIA director but at that time, US envoy to Moscow, had in changing Putin’s POV and turning him towards regarding his “near-abroad” as vassals
Like I have consistently argued, after 1992, there was no reason for NATO to remain. If the mission of combating Communism was still current, they should have incorporated the newly corporateist, if not capitalist, Russia into the alliance & started confronting Beijing. If not, they should have disbanded. What are NATO’s achievements since the Cold War? Prying out Kosovo out of Serbia’s hands, ousting Gaddafi in Libya and making that country a lawless state, and now, provoking Russia into invading Ukraine, which it did after Kamala Harris’ incendiary call for Ukraine to join NATO a week or so before the invasion started
During much of the Cold War, one thing that helped us was that Beijing was not an ally of the Soviets. That achievement has totally been undone by our treatment of Moscow since the 2000s: now, those 2 countries are firm allies, and we have idiots in both the CFR and the Defense establishment who think that we can deter a coalition of China and Russia at the same time. I’m just hoping that next year goes off w/o any further incidents b/w China and Taiwan, before Trump returns to power
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Regardless of what differences the Kremlin has w/ Helsinki, Moscow doesn’t get to make Finland take in people who are not Finnish. Same goes for Minsk and Warsaw
I don’t like NATO any more than you do, but regardless of my stance on Crimea, Ukraine and Russia, I don’t support Putin weaponizing muslims for use against his enemies
Barbara says
Has Putin considered what will happen when the Muslims decide to attack Russia? They will be as merciless to the Russians as they have been to everyone else. The enemy of my enemy had better tread carefully. Or they are going to look like some of our states where the Muslim cult out numbers US citizens.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
They already saw that at Beslan. Russia’s response should have been to either wipe out, or Christianize, all muslim pockets in the country. The way the Romanovs did w/ the Tatar Khanate of Qashliq before the conquest of Siberia
࿗Infidel࿘ says
From what I read, Poland blocked Belarus from sending any muslims in. Finland should do the same w/ Russia.
If Moscow & Minsk were stupid enough to admit foreign muslims into their countries in the first place, they should be the ones holding them. Or else, they could do what’s sensible, & return them to their home countries
drk says
I truly don’t understand the Putin’s game with migrants. He is literally a insane guy by playing with others peoples life!!
Mick says
Sunny Turkey holds a pool of over 3m Muslims; mainly Syrian and Iraqis driven from their lands by jihadis, Assad, Bush/Blair and the 22 dams. Could JW please check on their movements.
The 6m? refugees at our eastern gate, will be joined by some of the1m+ Afghans expelled by Pakistan, and X Palestinians.
Joe Kool says
Finland should have tourist safaris to “target practice” on the border! I would sign up! The muslim invasion of Europe could be stopped so easily!
Markus Ehrenschild says
Stop trying to effect regime change in Belarus and Russia and relations will surely improve. It’s just that simple, action and reaction. The CIA has been supporting Jihadists in Central Asia in an effort to harry the Russian Bear. Is that also a far-sighted policy? I think not.
Shawn says
Quite comical that Putin’s only allies willing to die for him are Muslims.Syrians,Iranians and Chechens.Me thinks his choice in allies is gonna bite him hard in the ass one-day.Quite something having a seat watching Islam being spread from Western Politician traitors of the lowest kind.