Poland says EU should help pay for border security amid Wagner fears

FILE PHOTO: The construction site of a barrier at the border between Poland and Belarus is seen in Tolcze near Kuznica, Poland, February 16, 2022. Grzegorz DabrowskiAgencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS/File Photo

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland expects the European Union to help it fund measures to strengthen its eastern border, a deputy minister said on Thursday, after Warsaw announced a tightening of security due to concerns over the presence of the Wagner group in Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to offer troops from the private military company the choice of relocating to Belarus has led to fears among eastern NATO members that their presence will cause greater instability in the region.