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LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2021
THE FOREIGN MINISTER of Belarus has accused the EU of “provoking” a migrant stand-off on its border with Poland and said Minsk was seeking a “joint response” to the crisis with Russia.
“The migrant crisis was provoked by the EU itself and its states that border Belarus,” Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on a visit to Moscow.
He added that Belarus was hoping for “mutual support” from neighbouring Russia, “including a joint response regarding unfriendly actions against our country”.
Hundreds of desperate migrants are trapped in freezing temperatures on the border and the presence of troops from both sides has raised fears of a confrontation.
Western critics have for months accused the Belarusian regime of luring migrants from the Middle East to Belarus to send them across the border to the European Union in retaliation for sanctions.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the talks accused the West of an “anti-Belarusian campaign” orchestrated by Washington and European allies including within international organisations like the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe.
He said efforts to counter it had been effective and that Russian and Belarus had “closely coordinated our approaches”.
“We diverted attempts to use these multilateral platforms to the detriment of the interests of our two states,” Lavrov said.
The EU’s relationship with Minsk has deteriorated sharply since August last year when Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko cracked down on anti-government protesters in the wake of elections the opposition said were rigged.
Western countries have imposed a range of sanctions over the crackdown and say they are considering new action over the migrant crisis.
Russia has buttressed Lukashenko’s regime with security guarantees and large loans to aid the struggling Belarusian economy.
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Historically, it was always considered notable how common it was for Irish women to fight alongside men. This can likely be traced back to Brehon Law attitudes that tended to hold women in equal regard to men in Ireland since time immemorial. Then the Catholic Church entered the frame and 3,500 years of equality unravelled in a matter of months, but Irish attitudes often remained.
It took Ireland centuries to convert, and even so they were not Catholic.
Catholicism came with the Normans in 1169. In fact, it was a large part of their casus belli that the Irish were part of the “Celtic Church”, and needed to be brought under the fold.
What also remains is the blaming of the Catholic Church for everything….. probably from British rule and people’s slavish deference to their media.
Firstly, no Catholic Church, early Christian Church conversion.
Secondly, same in rest of the world.
Thirdly, people choose to treat women in a certain way. Men chose wrong here for decades.
Fourthly, Ireland is one of the best countries to be a woman in, according to the Oecd.
A lot of the women and men of the 1916-1921 period were ignored by our governments for years.
The only people who turned up at 1916 commomerations were overweight special branchers with handicams filming “republicans” while junkies were injecting themselves and harrassing people.
Way to go.
First comment turns the forum into a Catholic bashing exercise.
I’m actually with Oran on this one. It was the industrial revolution that fixed the ideas on women that we have. The Church only provided a mechanism, as it did everywhere, Catholic or not.
Liam knew once he bashed the Catholic Church, even though he was wrong, he was bound to get green thumbs…
@liam. What you say is true. De Valera even had our fighting women air-brushed from photographs. Hardly surprising – Sure didn’t he allow McQuaid to dictate our constitution & enslaved us into the Catholic Church to replace Britain.
Oran, I think it’s fair to say that the Catholic church did nothing to rectify the inequality for many centuries, and continues in that fine tradition today. So you can call it bashing if you like, but at best they’re collaborators with a bad culture, but we all know they helped to keep women in their supposed place.
@declan madsen – The Catholic Church kept everyone in their place. All children were intimidated by Catholicism from an early age & most up to 20yrs ago, in their adulthood as well.
We could do with a few of these determined women about the place today.
Great idea, but sorry to see their partners unrecognised when they served side by side. Kathleen Lynn and Madeleine Ffrench-Mullen and Elizabeth O’Farrell and Shelia (Julia) Grennan – “Eirebrushed” our play on 1916 lesbian and gay heroes is on in Players Theatre TCD May 2-7th 730pm http://www.gaytheatre.ie
Specifying some theatre as “gay” seems superfluous; wouldn’t “straight theatre” be more unusual and unique realistically?
Happily not just as Irish or American is equally valid. It’s our 13th season heading past 3500 performances and companies from 5 continents who see its relevance, importance and artistic identity. Pop along in May!
Here’s why you’ll see these women on buses all over Ireland
(but you won’t see them underneath them)
Trying too hard Oran. Show some respect
It’s not doing Anything for Anybody. What’s the Point. Surely we can invest money in things for people.
I’d recognise David Rooneys artwork anywhere. Stunning as always.
Pearce was a woman
Mná na hÉireann…like omg lol
See the pols where around in 1916 too
have your say