Wagner fighters in Belarus not a threat to NATO – alliance spokesperson

Mercenaries of the Wagner Group private military company currently stationed in Belarus, do not represent a direct or indirect threat to NATO, Alliance spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in an interview with Polish news agency PAP on Aug. 8.

In the interview, Lungescu said that NATO has significantly strengthened its defense presence on its eastern flank in response to Russia's aggressive posturing.

Read also: Poland’s Foreign Ministry formerly protests violation of airspace by Belarus, NATO also reacts

Furthermore, according to her, the Alliance continues to do everything necessary to deter any threat and protect every centimeter of its member countries' territory.

“NATO closely monitors all military activities in Belarus,” said Lungescu.

“We do not see any direct or indirect military threat from Wagner PMC mercenaries to our allies, but we remain vigilant.”

On July 29, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki announced that over a hundred Wagner mercenaries had headed towards the Suwalki Gap — a 100-kilometer stretch between Poland and Lithuania that connects the Baltic countries' territory with Poland and other NATO countries, as well as separates the territory of the Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast from Belarus.

He referred to these actions as a "dangerous situation" and a "step towards further hybrid attacks on Poland."

Read also: Poland detains Belarusian spy collecting intelligence about the Polish ports and military facilities

Morawiecki suggested that Wagner mercenaries could disguise themselves as Belarusian border guards and assist illegal migrants in infiltrating Polish territory.

Additionally, the PM stated that the mercenaries might attempt to penetrate Polish territory under the guise of illegal migrants, creating "additional risks."

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine