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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month has risen to 5,069.
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The figure has continued to increase as rescue workers clear debris and search through rubble following the earthquakes on 24 June.
International rescue teams joined thousands of Venezuelan emergency workers in efforts to find people trapped beneath the rubble. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez described the disaster as the “most brutal natural catastrophe” in Venezuela’s history.
The Venezuelan government reported that 856 buildings had been damaged, 190 of which had collapsed completely. Hundreds of other types of structures, such as bridges and roads, were also affected. The northern coastal state of La Guaira was the worst hit.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit within 39 seconds of each other. More than 1,300 aftershocks have been felt since.
Rodríguez said Venezuela had secured $346 million (€302 million) in previously frozen resources from the International Monetary Fund for reconstruction following the earthquakes.
More than 20,000 people have been displaced, with many now living in overcrowded temporary camps. Aid organisations have warned that some shelters lack reliable supplies of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, increasing the risk of disease.
The IMF and World Bank announced in April that they were resuming relations with Venezuela following the US military intervention that removed Nicolás Maduro from power in January. Relations with the both the IMF and World Bank had been frozen since 2019.
The United States has also provided more than $300 million (€262 million) in humanitarian assistance.
Overnight and into Friday, Iran reported U.S. strikes on infrastructure that can serve civilian purposes and has targeted similar sites in Gulf countries that host American bases. In the afternoon, the U.S. military announced a new round of attacks on Iran.
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Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who has frequently criticized President Donald Trump, is poised to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister after emerging as the only candidate to replace outgoing Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Burnham, 56, was formally confirmed as the ruling Labour Party’s leader on Friday and will be appointed prime minister by King Charles III next week.
Britain’s parliamentary system allows the governing party to replace its leader — and therefore the prime minister — without holding a national election. The next nationwide election does not have to be held until 2029.
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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of the Labour Party reacts after being declared the winner in the by-election at The Edge where votes were being counted on June 19, 2026, in Wigan, England. (Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
Burnham’s rapid path to Downing Street is drawing criticism from political opponents and foreign policy analysts who say he has not faced the scrutiny that would normally accompany either a competitive party leadership race or a general election campaign.
“Andy Burnham is the least scrutinized incoming U.K. Prime Minister of recent times,” Alan Mendoza, executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
“He has faced neither a general election nor an internal party leadership debate in order to establish his positions for wider consumption,” Mendoza said. “He wasn’t even a candidate at the last general election.”
Burnham did, however, win 54.8% of the vote in June’s Makerfield parliamentary by-election, defeating Reform UK’s candidate and returning to the House of Commons after nearly a decade away. Before returning to Parliament, he had been directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester three times.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued in a previous interview with Fox News Digital that Burnham should seek a new national mandate.
“The public are tired of the game of musical chairs that’s been taking place in 10 Downing Street over the last decade,” Farage said.
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a news conference in Westminster, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025. (Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Mr. Burnham will come in, he will have no mandate,” he added. “I don’t even know what his policies are. Literally, I don’t. So, I think for all of those reasons, there ought to be a general election and a fresh mandate.”
Farage made the comments before resigning his parliamentary seat this month to trigger an Aug. 13 by-election in Clacton, where he plans to run again. Farage said he wanted voters to judge him amid parliamentary scrutiny over allegations involving gifts from wealthy supporters. He has denied wrongdoing. Police are separately investigating donations made to Reform UK, but no arrests have been announced.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Burnham grew up in north-west England between Liverpool and Manchester. The son of a British Telecom engineer and a receptionist, he joined the Labour Party as a teenager, studied at Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament in 2001, according to The Associated Press.
He rose through Labour’s ranks during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and served in several senior positions, including as culture secretary and health secretary.
Burnham ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2010 and again in 2015. He left Parliament in 2017 after winning election as mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional position he used to build a national political profile.
A British Union flag flies from a souvenir stall near the Houses of Parliament in London, U.K., Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As mayor, Burnham promoted greater regional control over transportation and public services. His administration brought Greater Manchester’s fragmented bus system under public control as part of the Bee Network, a regional transportation project that became one of his signature achievements.
He also became closely associated with the campaign for accountability over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, in which 97 Liverpool soccer fans were killed. Burnham supported victims’ families in their long-running effort to expose police failures and rebut false accusations originally directed at supporters.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces the timeline for his resignation after Andy Burnham’s decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. (Reuters/Jack Taylor )
What has Andy Burnham said about President Trump?
Burnham has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to global instability while warning that Britain risks importing the polarization of American politics. In a 2025 interview with The London Economic, Burnham compared Trump’s return to office to the turmoil caused in Britain by former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
“The instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the U.S. and the world,” Burnham said in the interview. He also described several of Trump’s decisions, including his approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, as “out of order.”
President Trump and King Charles shared a laugh outside the White House ahead of a state dinner. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Burnham’s criticism of Trump dates back to the president’s first election in 2016. After Trump’s victory, Burnham described some of his rhetoric as “deeply troubling” but argued that politicians on the left should examine why working-class voters had turned to him rather than simply blaming the electorate.
“We have to look closer to home,” Burnham said, according to The Guardian.
His language became sharper following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. As the attack unfolded, Burnham wrote on X that “any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.”
More recently, during his Makerfield parliamentary campaign, Burnham warned that Britain was moving toward “the politics of the United States of America,” which he described as “a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together anymore.”
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Despite those attacks, Burnham has stopped short of advocating a rupture with Washington. According to Time, he supported Starmer’s effort to maintain a working relationship with Trump, while arguing that Britain must be prepared to disagree with the United States.
“Obviously, the relationship is important to the U.K., but not to the point where we just go along with anything they say,” Burnham said.
Trump has already responded dismissively to the likely incoming British leader. Asked in June what he knew about Burnham, Trump said, “I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.” Trump added that he had heard Burnham was “extremely liberal” and suggested that he would oppose expanded North Sea oil drilling, before declaring that “the U.K. is dying,” according ton Reuters.
What are Andy Burnham’s political views?
Andy Burnham is officially confirmed as the new leader of the Labour Party at a special conference held at the Trades Union Congress, in central London on July 17, 2026 (PA via Reuters)
Burnham is generally regarded as being to the left of Starmer. He has said he wants to take what he calls “Manchesterism” nationwide, describing an approach that places “people and place before party” and transfers greater attention and authority from London to regions that have historically received less investment.
He has emphasized infrastructure, housing, transportation and regional economic development, while arguing against what he calls “trickle-down economics.” The Associated Press reported that his priorities have also included vocational education, youth employment, lower energy bills and cheaper rail travel.
Mendoza said that Burnham’s past positions and recent statements suggest he would move the British government further to the left.
“What we can be certain of is that he will be looking to impose a fairly radical left-wing agenda for the country based on his past beliefs and recent pronouncements,” Mendoza said.
“In no particular order, these include introduction of wealth taxes, changes to the electoral system, a vast expansion of social housing and attacks on hitherto allies of the U.K. like Israel.”
FROM LONDON SYNAGOGUES TO NEW YORK PRESCHOOLS — ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ESCALATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC
Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a banner and chant at at anti-Israel protest in London Dec. 9 2023., (Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Burnham has sought to counter concerns about his limited recent national security experience.
He has pledged continuity in Britain’s commitments to NATO, its nuclear deterrent, the United States and Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
He has also called for Britain to rebuild its military capabilities and domestic defense industry in response to what he described as an increasingly dangerous international environment.
On the war in Gaza, Burnham has criticized Labour’s earlier response and argued that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire. The Associated Press reported that he has raised the possibility of additional sanctions and trade restrictions involving goods linked to Israeli settlements. Burnham has also condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel.
Burnham has not served in Britain’s national government since 2010 and spent almost a decade outside Parliament, meaning his record is far more developed on domestic and regional policy than on current foreign policy and national security questions.
When could Britain hold a general election?
Burnham would not be required to call an immediate general election. Labour won a large parliamentary majority under Starmer in July 2024, allowing the party to remain in power until 2029 unless Burnham decides to seek an earlier mandate.
Mendoza predicted that Burnham could attempt to capitalize on the momentum surrounding his arrival at Downing Street.
“As he is never likelier to be more popular than on day one of his premiership, we should also be on the watch for his calling of an early general election in order to capitalize on this unique moment,” Mendoza said.
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Britain’s Labour Party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, June 19, 2026. (Jon Super/AP)
Burnham would inherit an economy facing weak growth, pressure on public finances, strained health and welfare services and continuing concern over the cost of living.
He would also become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just over a decade, reflecting the rapid political turnover at Downing Street since the country’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
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