German FM pledges European solidarity to Poland in Belarus row

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has assured neighbouring Poland of Europe's solidarity in the refugee crisis on the EU's eastern border, reported dpa.

Speaking in the German parliament on Thursday, Maas accused Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of playing an unscrupulous game with human lives. "The problem is Lukashenko and Belarus and the regime that exists there," he said, adding that Poland therefore deserved European solidarity.

Thousands of refugees are living in deplorable conditions on the border between Belarus and Poland. The EU accuses Lukashenko of deliberately bringing migrants into the country in order to then bring them to the border.

Maas again threatened sanctions - not only against Belarus, but also against transit countries and the airlines involved. "No one should be allowed to participate in Lukashenko's inhumane activities with impunity," he said.