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Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will soon impose sanctions in the form of travel restrictions on some 30 Belarusian officials. Among them is President Alexander Lukashenko, announced Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
– We have said that we need a peaceful dialogue and an agreement between the regime and the citizens, but we see that the regime is not prepared for it, says Gitanas Nauseda according to Reuters.
I need to set an example
The news comes the day after tens of thousands of protesters marched again in the capital Minsk, demanding Lukashenko’s resignation. The protests have continued since the disputed elections on August 9, which the opposition and much of the outside world have condemned as rigged.
According to Gitanas Nauseda, the sanctions should be seen as a first step and can be extended.
– We see that we have to step forward and set an example for other countries, says Gitanas Nauseda, according to Reuters.
Alexander Lukashenko on Friday threatened to suspend all European crossings in the country if sanctions were imposed. Belarus, in particular, accounts for a third of Lithuania’s freight transport by rail and also accounts for a large proportion of roads to Russia for European freight.
Russia: does not send police
At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Lukashenko to a meeting. According to among others SVT correspondent Bert Sundström it is seen to be a move by Russia to intensify the chances of tying a check on Belarus.
However, on Friday, Russia announced that the situation in Belarus was considered “under control” and that it currently saw no reason to dispatch the special police force that Vladimir Putin announced last week was available to intervene against protesters at the request of Lukashenko.
In parallel, it is announced that opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after the elections, will speak with the UN Security Council via a video link on Friday. Tikhanovskaya has been invited by Estonia, which is currently a member of the Council.