Statement by President von der Leyen on the situation at the border between Poland and Belarus

In a statement issued earlier this week about the situation at the border between Poland and Belarus, President von der Leyen called on EU Member States to approve the extended sanctions regime on the responsible Belarusian authorities. She said that: "Vice-President Schinas, in coordination with High Representative/Vice-President Borrell, will travel in the coming days to the main countries of origin and of transit to ensure that they act to prevent their own nationals from falling into the trap set by the Belarusian authorities. The EU will in particular explore how to sanction, including through blacklisting, third country airlines that are active in human trafficking."