Accused Of Being Involved In Migrant Crisis On Belarusian-EU Border, President Putin: Mind Your Own Problems

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with President Vladimir Putin. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - Moscow is ready to facilitate efforts to resolve the migrant crisis on the border between Belarus and the European Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview on the 'Moscow, Kremlin, Putin' program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

"When we hear some statements and accusations against us, I want to tell everyone, think about your own domestic problems, don't try to shift them to other people because your relevant agencies need to solve them," President Putin was quoted as saying by TASS November 15.

"However, we are ready to do our best (to help resolve the situation) if there is anything we can do," President Vladimir Putin continued.

President Putin further reiterated that Russia's alleged involvement in the migration crisis "shows one's desire to shift responsibility for current developments."

"What does our Aeroflot airline have to do with that? Has anyone boarded an Aeroflot flight? I don't know anything about that, but some people can certainly get on a flight and travel through a third country. What should we do with that?" said the Russian President.

According to President Putin, Western countries are trying to avoid responsibility for the migration crisis on the border between Belarus and the European Union.

"I've already said, we have nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing. Why do some talk about it? Because it's on their conscience. It shows their desire to shift the blame to someone else," he explained.

In addition, President Putin considered, Western countries are to blame for the crisis.

"I have explained why, there are political, military and economic reasons. They are the ones who created the conditions in which thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes. And now they are looking for someone to blame to avoid taking responsibility for what happened," said the President. Putin.

Interestingly, the Russian president said he had learned about the immigration crisis from the media.

"I have never discussed this issue with (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko before. However, we have spoken on the phone twice since the crisis emerged," said President Putin.

Earlier, the Russian president expressed hope that President Lukashenko and Acting Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel will hold discussions in the near future, to discuss the situation as most of the migrants are trying to reach Germany.

To note, tensions sparked by migrants trying to enter Poland, Lithuania and Latvia via Belarus exploded on November 8. Several hundred people arrived at the Belarusian-Polish border.

European Union countries claim Minsk is deliberately escalating the crisis and call for sanctions. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, blamed the situation in Western countries whose actions forced people to leave their war-torn homeland.