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NATO ally Poland warns Russia, Belarus pushing illegal migrants toward alliance — and the US

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3 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

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NATO ally Poland warns Russia, Belarus pushing illegal migrants toward alliance — and the US

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This is part two of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

POLAND-BELARUS BORDER — Riding in a military convoy escorted by armored vehicles from Poland’s 18th “Iron Division” along the country’s 521-kilometer border with Belarus, soldiers pointed toward dense forests where they say Europe’s newest form of warfare is unfolding.

Polish officials warn illegal migrants weaponized by Russia and Belarus to destabilize NATO’s eastern flank are also making their way to the United States — part of what Warsaw calls an ongoing war against the Western alliance that has direct implications for American security.

The border was once guarded mainly by Poland’s Border Guard and police. But after years of mounting pressure from illegal crossings, Polish officials say the army was deployed because the situation became too large and too dangerous to handle as a conventional immigration challenge.

TROOPS AT THE BORDER: HOW THE MILITARY’S ROLE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS EXPLODED UNDER TRUMP

Soldiers from Poland’s 18th “Iron Division” take part in a military exercise at the Poland-Belarus border amid what Polish officials describe as a Russian and Belarusian campaign to weaponize illegal migration against NATO countries. (Efrat Lachter/Fox News Digital.)

Now, the frontier is guarded in layers: soldiers, border guards and rapid-response forces. A temporary barrier built in 2021 has become an electronic fence backed by surveillance systems and military patrols. Polish officials say migrants trying to cross have come from countries including Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan and India.

They describe the crisis as “artificial migration,” saying the illegals are flown into Belarus from the Middle East, Africa and Asia and then transported toward the Polish border by Belarusian authorities in an effort to pressure and destabilize NATO countries.

Military officials at the border said the peak was in 2021, when there were 39,697 illegal crossing attempts. By 2025, it was 29,869, slightly fewer than in 2024. So far in 2026, they have seen a major drop, they say.

For Warsaw, the numbers tell only part of the story.

Polish officials say the border pressure is not spontaneous illegal migration, but a Russian-backed Belarusian operation designed to destabilize NATO from within.

“We are at war,” Ambassador Krzysztof Olendzki of Poland’s Foreign Ministry told Fox News Digital after the border visit.

“Not only Poland, but also all the countries of the eastern flank of NATO, we are in war,” Olendzki said. “We cannot see it as a classical war with soldiers, with tanks and so on, but the war is exercised by our adversaries, by Belarus and Russia, who are using practically migrants as an asymmetric weapon against NATO countries.”

WHITE HOUSE ROADMAP SAYS EUROPE MAY BE ‘UNRECOGNIZABLE’ IN 20 YEARS AS MIGRATION RAISES DOUBTS ABOUT US ALLIES

File photo shows mostly male illegal migrants waiting at the closed area prepared by the Belarusian government within the border region after they cleared camps at the Poland-Belarus border, on Nov. 18, 2021, in Grodno region, Belarus. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The crisis dates back to 2021, when Poland, Lithuania and Latvia accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime of encouraging migrants from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere to travel to Belarus and cross illegally into the European Union. Belarus has denied orchestrating the flows, but Poland and the EU have described the campaign as hybrid warfare.

Olendzki said the goal is not only to push people across the border, but to create chaos inside Western societies.

The border visit underscored how far Poland has gone to harden what it views as one of NATO’s most vulnerable frontiers.

Capt. Angelika Korkosz of Poland’s 18th Division described the day-to-day strain on soldiers stationed there.

“Many times soldiers were faced with aggression from illegal groups of immigrants, and they have to act appropriately and calmly in accordance with the law and procedures while protecting themselves,” Korkosz told Fox News Digital.

POLISH GOVERNMENT PLANS MANDATORY MILITARY TRAINING FOR ADULT MEN

A Polish soldier stands watch near the Belarus border, where officials say migration pressure has evolved into a form of hybrid warfare targeting NATO’s eastern flank on May 16, 2026.

Polish officials said migrants have used Molotov cocktails in at least two incidents, sparking fires near the border. Soldiers also spoke of a Polish serviceman who died after being stabbed by an illegal migrant at the frontier.

Korkosz said the challenge is not only violence, but exhaustion.

“A few months ago, we had minus-20-degree winters, so 12-hour duty during these conditions is really demanding,” she said. “Many soldiers are here for a long time, and it is getting more and more difficult, this long separation from their relatives.”

Still, she said the troops are prepared.

“The training includes decision-making under pressure in an ambiguous operational environment,” Korkosz said. “That’s why when we are here at the border, we are really well-prepared for performing our duties.”

Poland says the border defenses are working. Amb. Olendzki said the lower number of crossings this year reflects the physical barrier, the increased effectiveness of the Border Guard and the military presence. But he warned the threat has not disappeared, only shifted.

NATO WARNS RUSSIA AFTER POLAND SHOOTS DOWN ‘HUGE NUMBER’ OF DRONES THAT VIOLATED ITS AIRSPACE

Soldiers from Poland’s 18th Division demonstrate battlefield medical training near the Belarus border after a serviceman from the division was killed in an attack by an illegal migrant. May 16th, 2026. (Efrat Lachter/Fox News)

“Seeing the fact that the Polish-Belarusian border is quite well guarded, our adversaries are just pushing migrants through the borders of our neighboring countries,” he said. “So it hasn’t ended, but it’s changed the direction. The threat still exists, and we must be vigilant.”

That matters to NATO because Poland’s border with Belarus is not only Warsaw’s border. It is also the eastern edge of the European Union and NATO territory.

Belarus is Russia’s closest ally and allowed its territory to be used for Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia may be trying to pull Belarus deeper into the war and could use Belarusian territory to threaten Ukraine or even a NATO country.

That fear is central to Poland’s security posture.

During a meeting with reporters in Warsaw, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told Fox News Digital Russia’s war against Ukraine is, for Poland, “a matter of national safety and existence.”

But Sikorski said the threat to NATO countries is already wider than the battlefield in Ukraine.

“We had on NATO countries’ territories assassinations, numerous drone attacks on airports, on critical infrastructure,” Sikorski said. “We had very serious cyberattacks.”

Polish soldiers stand watch near the Belarus border, where officials say migration pressure has evolved into a form of hybrid warfare targeting NATO’s eastern flank. May 16th, 2026. (Efrat Lachter/Fox News Digital)

Sikorski said Poland faced a Russian-instigated cyberattack last December on critical energy infrastructure that Warsaw believes was intended “to black out part of Poland.”

The warning fits a broader pattern of concerns across NATO’s eastern flank. The Associated Press reported earlier this year that balloons from Belarus had crossed into Polish airspace for a third consecutive night, with Polish forces describing the incidents as attempts to test air defense responses.

For Poland, illegal migration, cyberattacks, drones, sabotage and disinformation are not separate problems. They are different pieces of one Russian and Belarusian pressure campaign against NATO.

Olendzki said Poland’s role is to stop the pressure before it moves deeper into Europe or beyond.

“Standing on guard on the eastern flank of NATO, we are providing security not only to Poland, to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, but to entire NATO, also to the United States,” he said.

US Border Patrol agents prepare to transport migrants for asylum claim processing at the US-Mexico border in Campo, California, US, on Friday, April 5, 2024. Last week a federal judge sharply questioned the Biden administration’s position that it bears no responsibility for housing and feeding migrant children while they wait in makeshift camps along the US-Mexico border, reported the AP. (Mark Abramson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

That U.S. connection is a central part of Poland’s message to Washington: The eastern flank is not a distant European problem, but a front line in a broader confrontation with Russia and its allies.

Poland now spends nearly 5% of its GDP on defense, the highest rate in NATO, if based on GPD. Sikorski said Warsaw has long taken defense spending seriously.

“We never went below 2% defense spending,” Sikorski said. “Now we are spending almost 5%. This is real military spending.”

He said the eastern flank has become more influential inside NATO because countries closest to Russia were proven right.

US ALLIES ACCUSE RUSSIA OF ‘ESCALATING HYBRID ACTIVITIES’ AGAINST NATO, EU NATIONS AFTER DATA CABLES SEVERED

A Polish border guard at the Polish-Belarus border fence near the village of Ozierany Male, Poland, on Friday, Jul. 4, 2025. (Damian Lemanski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The eastern flank is much more powerful than even five years ago,” Sikorski said. “We were right about the nature of Putin’s regime and Russia’s aggressive strategy.”

That view has shaped Poland’s approach to the United States. Warsaw wants American troops to remain in Europe, but Polish officials also acknowledge that Europe must assume more of the defense burden as U.S. attention increasingly shifts toward China and the Indo-Pacific.

Sikorski said Poland understands that “Europe ceased to be angle number one for U.S. foreign policy,” but wants any change in America’s role to be “gradual and well-designed.”

He added that Poland wants the shift in trans-Atlantic security to be “not a divorce, but a new kind of relationship.”

For now, that relationship is being tested along a cold, wooded border where Poland says NATO’s future wars may already be taking shape.

The Polish soldiers patrolling the frontier do not describe their mission in grand geopolitical terms. Korkosz said she joined the military because she wanted to do “something which matters.”

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Members of Poland’s 18th “Iron Division” patrol the Belarus border as Warsaw accuses Belarus and Russia of funneling illegal migrants toward NATO territory. May 16, 2026. (Efrat Lachter/Fox News Digital)

But to Polish officials, the mission at the Belarus border is much bigger than immigration enforcement.

It is a warning to the rest of NATO that the alliance’s next war may not begin with tanks crossing a border, but with migrants pushed through forests, cyberattacks on power grids, drones near airports and disinformation campaigns designed to fracture societies from within.

Efrat Lachter is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

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World

Pro-US conservative faces leftist in Peru’s high-stakes presidential runoff

Published

20 minutes ago

June 7, 2026

Press Room

Pro-US conservative faces leftist in Peru’s high-stakes presidential runoff

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Peruvians head to the polls in a pivotal presidential runoff June 7 in an election that could reshape not only the country’s future but also the balance of power across Latin America.

Two candidates are vying to become the country’s ninth president in just 10 years. Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori is campaigning on law and order, free-market policies and closer ties with the United States, while left-wing challenger Roberto Sánchez represents a political movement that many see as a continuation of the leftist currents that have challenged U.S. interests in the region.

José Ignacio Beteta, executive director of Asociación de Contribuyentes, a think tank in Peru, told Fox News Digital, “Peru’s June 7 runoff carries consequences well beyond its borders. When analyzed against the current U.S. National Security Strategy, this election will determine whether Peru consolidates its alignment as a U.S. partner or devolves into deeper geopolitical contention. Peru’s institutional weakness has already allowed China to expand into strategic sectors.”

MEET ‘CHINA’S MAN IN LIMA’ WHO JETTED OVER TO US TO COLLECT TRAINS DONATED BY BIDEN ADMIN

Peru’s presidential candidates Keiko Fujimori (right) for the Fuerza Popular party, and Roberto Sanchez (left) for the Juntos por el Peru party, wave during a debate in Lima on May 31, 2026, ahead of the presidential runoff election on June 7. (Ernesto Benavides/AFP Via Getty Images)

Beteta added, “Meanwhile, the vote is seen as a choice between a return to freer and more competitive economic and security policies with Fujimori and a second attempt at left-wing governance with Sanchez, a binary that mirrors South America’s broader ideological fractures.”

The election follows years of political instability in Peru, a country that has seen multiple presidents removed from office over the past decade and remains deeply divided between urban and rural constituencies.

Sunday’s election’s outcome is expected to be very close, with the possibility of a final result not being known for days, according to the Associated Press.

For Washington, Peru’s election represents more than a domestic political contest. It is another test of the broader political direction of Latin America. Over the past several years, several countries in the region have experienced electoral shifts toward center-right or conservative governments, including Argentina under Javier Milei and Ecuador under Daniel Noboa who are all more friendly to Washington.

A Fujimori victory would reinforce that trend and could position Peru alongside a growing bloc of governments favoring tougher approaches to crime, stronger ties with the United States and market-oriented economic policies.

Peru’s presidential candidate for the Fuerza Popular party, Keiko Fujimori, waves to supporters during her closing campaign rally in Lima on June 4, 2026. Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sanchez will face off in Peru’s presidential runoff on June 7, 2026. (Anthony Nino de Guzman / AFP via Getty Images)

Presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori told Fox News Digital that if she wins, “My government’s foreign policy will be based on a very clear premise: defending Peru’s interests. Specifically, regarding the United States, my government will seek a relationship of cooperation, mutual respect and investment promotion. We welcome the Trump administration’s renewed perspective on Latin America and, especially, on Peru, which occupies a strategic geopolitical position in the region.”

Fujimori continued: “We want to seize this opportunity by generating greater stability, legal certainty, and confidence for investment. Peru must always be a country open to the world, committed to freedom, free competition, and the free market. Our goal is to lay the groundwork so that investors from the United States and around the world find in Peru a reliable, stable, and attractive country in which to invest, produce, and create jobs.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Sánchez’ campaign but did not get a response.

ALLIANCE WITH US ‘DISMANTLED’ BY LEFTIST PETRO REGIME, COLOMBIA’S FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

Peru’s presidential candidate for the Juntos por el Peru party, Roberto Sanchez, speaks during a campaign rally at the Plaza Tupac Amaru in Cusco, Peru, on June 2, 2026. (Jose Angulo / AFP via Getty Images)

Peruvian analyst and legal expert Lucas Ghersi told Fox News Digital, “Roberto Sánchez represents a rather radical left. His platform includes nationalizations and expropriations, and he is close to Evo Morales and Nicolás Maduro. This election is highly polarizing Peruvian society.”

Ghersi continued, “If Keiko Fujimori wins, she would have a good relationship with the United States. She is a reasonable person who defends the constitutional framework and the rule of law, and she has ties to the United States because she has done academic work at Florida International University (FIU).

“Roberto Sánchez, on the other hand, would create tension in the relationship with the United States. During his campaign and in the presidential debate, he bitterly criticized Peru’s purchase of F-16 jets from the United States. He said that Peru shouldn’t buy from the United States and should instead use that money for health or education. He also has ties to illegal mining and has been accused of drug trafficking. This could create tensions in the relationship with the United States.”

TRUMP LOOMS LARGE AS BIDEN SET TO MEET CHINA’S XI DURING LATIN AMERICA SUMMITS

Supporters of Peru’s presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, for the Fuerza Popular party, shout slogans outside the Lima Convention Center ahead of her debate with Roberto Sanchez, for the Juntos por el Peru party, in Lima on May 31, 2026. Peru will hold the presidential runoff election on June 7. (Connie France/AFP via Getty Images)

Ghersi concluded, “Peru is a very strategic country and has been the focus of competition between the United States and China. Peru has one of the largest proven copper reserves and is a major gold producer. Therefore, both China and the United States are vying for influence in Peru, and China has been promoting mega-investment projects there, such as a mega-port that is already operational. In response, the United States offered to renovate the Peruvian Navy’s base and invest in large port projects.”

A Fujimori victory would likely be interpreted in Washington as a continuation of the recent trend toward center-right governance in parts of Latin America. Fujimori has campaigned on restoring public security, strengthening economic growth, and maintaining Peru’s market-oriented model. Her supporters argue that these policies could encourage greater foreign investment and closer cooperation with the United States on security and economic issues.

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A Sánchez victory would present a different scenario. Although he has recently moderated portions of his platform, emphasizing respect for private property, free trade agreements and macroeconomic stability, questions remain about how his administration would approach relations with Washington and regional left-wing movements.

The next Peruvian president will help determine whether one of South America’s most important countries moves closer to Washington, or charts a leftward course.

The Associated Press reports that voting is mandatory in Peru for citizens from the ages of 18 to 70, with more than 27 million people registered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Armando Regil reports on Mexico and Latin America. You can follow Armando on Twitter @armando_regil

World

Pakistan official visits Iran with ‘special letter’ for supreme leader

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2026

Press Room

Pakistan official visits Iran with ‘special letter’ for supreme leader

Mediator Pakistan ramps up diplomatic efforts to end US-Iran war as Gulf countries warn of escalation.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has travelled to Iran to deliver a “special letter” to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei as part of diplomatic efforts to end the United States-Israeli war on Iran, which began 100 days ago.

Naqvi arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, late on Saturday, and met his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. The two discussed the “latest regional developments and matters related to internal security”, among other issues, Naqvi said on social media. Before his arrival, Iranian media reported that the Pakistani official was carrying a letter from his country’s army chief and prime minister ⁠⁠for the supreme leader.

Negotiations at ‘deadlock’

Despite tit-for-tat attacks and sporadic exchanges of fire, negotiations over a deal to end the war are continuing, but an agreement remains elusive.

US President Donald Trump has alternated between threatening a renewed military campaign and expressing optimism about a diplomatic breakthrough. On Wednesday, he said an agreement could be finalised over the weekend.

But Iranian officials have offered a more cautious tone. “The negotiations are at a deadlock, and Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told US media outlet CNN on Saturday. He also called for the release of about $24bn in frozen Iranian assets.

The unfreezing of Iranian assets is one of the key sticking points in ongoing talks. On Wednesday, media reports said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was considering using them to support rebuilding efforts in the Gulf caused by Iranian attacks.

“The Treasury will utilise all tools available to allow Iranian assets to be made available to our Gulf allies to support rebuilding and repairs for any future damage caused by Iran,” a US official told several news agencies.

Other sticking points include an end to hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon; sanctions waivers on crude exports; the lifting of a US port blockade; and leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has blocked the narrow waterway since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28. Tehran responded by firing waves of drones and missiles at Israel, US targets in the region and neighbouring Gulf countries.

It declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and threatened to attack vessels transiting through the narrow waterway without its permission. Its effective control of the trade chokepoint sent oil and gas prices to a multi-year high and threatened global supplies.

Armed hostilities largely subsided after the temporary Pakistan-mediated ceasefire began on April 8 . Direct talks in Islamabad broke down on April 12, and the two sides have exchanged a series of proposals to end the war via Pakistan since then. However, several flare-ups since have led to growing fears that full‑scale fighting could resume.