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The Belarusian Foreign Ministry called the US sanctions a deliberately useless and counterproductive instrument.
Belarus has prepared a response to the US sanctions. This was reported on December 24 by the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry believes that the introduction of additional visas and financial restrictions for Belarusian natural and legal persons is “an emotional decision that has nothing to do with the real situation.”
“The actions of the American partners go against the previously proclaimed policy of involving Belarus in the interaction and are in no way intended to support the independence of our country. Furthermore, the” dictatorship of human rights “imposed by the Americans it seems especially inappropriate in the context of the fact that the United States itself is far from fine, “he said in the message.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry called the US sanctions a deliberately useless and counterproductive instrument.
“At the same time, our countermeasures are already prepared and will be put into practice. It is sad that the United States prefers the path of confrontation to interaction even on such obvious global challenges as the fight against terrorism. But this is its choice. Belarus It always started from the importance of maintaining normal and mutually beneficial relations with the United States, based on equality and mutual respect. It is impossible to move towards such relations without the United States rejecting the press policy of sanctions, “says the Belarusian ministry.
What measures will be introduced against the United States, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry did not specify.
On December 23, the United States introduced additional sanctions against natural and legal persons involved in rigging the elections in Belarus. The sanctions were directed at the Central Election Commission of Belarus, a detachment of the KGB special unit “Alpha”, the main department of internal affairs of the executive committee of the city of Minsk, Minsk OMON, as well as the deputy head of the Ministry of the Inland Belarus, Gennady Kazakevich. Limitations provide for the freezing of assets in the United States and the prohibition of business contacts with United States citizens.
Overall, according to the US State Department, to date, the country’s Treasury has imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and 13 Belarusian legal entities (in particular, early October Washington imposed sanctions on eight officials Belarus, including against the Vice President of the CEC Vadim Ipatov, the commander of the internal troops Yuri Nazarenko, the commander of Minsk OMON Dmitry Balab). Furthermore, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on 63 people for their involvement in undermining democracy in Belarus, falsifying election results and the subsequent crackdown.
Since August 9, massive protests by those who disagree with the results of the presidential elections have continued in Belarus. According to official data, at that time they were won by the head of state Alexander Lukashenko, for whom 80.1% of the voters voted. The second place with 10.1% of the votes was held by the Belarusian opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. At the same time, alternative exit polls showed the opposite picture: Tikhanovskaya’s confident victory.
The Belarusian security forces violently dispersed the rallies using grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons. During the protests, hundreds of protesters were injured and wounded. According to official figures, four protesters died.
Tikhanovskaya stated on November 28 that eight people had died during protests in Belarus.
Lukashenka assumed the presidency on September 23. For the first time in the history of Belarus, the opening ceremony was not announced or broadcast on television. Several states, including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, did not recognize Lukashenko’s inauguration.
On October 2, the European Union imposed restrictive measures against 40 people responsible for falsifying the results of the presidential elections and forcingly suppressing peaceful protests. On November 6, the EU imposed sanctions against Lukashenko, who considers himself President of Belarus, and 14 other Belarusian officials. Ukraine joined the sanctions. On December 17, the EU introduced the third package of sanctions against Belarus; the restrictive measures affected 29 people and seven organizations.
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