Tag: Alexander Lukashenko

Belarus Set to Amend Non-Nuclear Constitution Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Belarus is set to make amendments to its non-nuclear constitution to allow for nuclear weapons after a referendum was held on Sunday amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Belarus Central Election Commission said that voter turnout stood at 78.61 percent, of which 65.2 percent voted in favor of the change. The amendments give Belarusian President…


UK to Send 350 More Troops to Poland Amid Tensions in Eastern Europe

Britain is to send an additional 350 troops to Poland in a show of support for its Eastern European ally, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday. Speaking at a joint press conference in London with Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, Wallace said Britain will send extra troops to Poland “to show that we…


Belarus Jails Opposition Leader’s Husband for 18 Years in ‘Revenge’ Verdict

MOSCOW—A court in Belarus sentenced the opposition leader’s husband to 18 years in jail on Tuesday after he was arrested during an attempt to run for president against incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, a verdict his wife called political revenge. The court found Syarhei Tsikhanouski, a 43-year-old video blogger, guilty of organizing mass unrest and of inciting…


UK Sends More Troops to Poland, Lithuania Amid Belarus Border Tensions

Britain is sending more troops to Poland and Lithuania to help the Eastern European countries tackle the illegal immigration crisis orchestrated by the Belarusian regime. In a statement on Thursday, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: “Poland and Lithuania, along with their Baltic neighbour Latvia, have been under significant pressure from migration originating from…


UK to Send More Troops to Help Poland Tackle Belarus Migrant Crisis: Report

Britain will deploy more troops to Poland’s border with Belarus to help tackle the migrant crisis, which Western governments say has been orchestrated by the Lukashenka regime, British media have reported. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan, have gathered on the Poland–Belarus border in hopes of crossing into the European Union. The…


Polish PM Calls for ‘Concrete Steps’ From NATO Amid Belarus Border Crisis

HAJNOWKA, Poland—NATO must take “concrete steps” to resolve the migrant crisis on the Belarus border, the Polish prime minister was quoted as saying on Sunday, adding that Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia may ask for consultations under Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty. Under Article 4, any ally can request consultations whenever, in the opinion of…


Biden Admin Launches New Sanctions on Belarus’s Lukashenko

President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order imposing new sanctions against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has been president of the former Soviet republic since 1994. The Biden administration made the announcement on the date marking the first anniversary of Lukashenko’s reelection, which was widely seen as fraudulent and sparked nationwide protests. Lukashenko responded…


Lithuania Denies Belarus Reports of Migrant Death on Border

Lithuania’s interior ministry on Wednesday dismissed Belarusian reports that an Iraqi migrant had been found beaten to death after being turned away at the Lithuanian border, describing it as part of a “hybrid war” being waged by Minsk. Lithuania has accused Belarus of manufacturing a refugee problem on its border in retaliation for European Union…


UK’s Johnson Meets With Belarusian Opposition Leader

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday met with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Downing Street, promising support to the exiled leader. Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus for Lithuania last year after losing a presidential election which Western governments say was rigged. “We are very much on your side, very much in support of what you are…


Belarusian Dissident Arrested in Plane Grounding Appears to Resurface Online

MOSCOW—Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich appeared to resurface on Twitter on Wednesday, less than two weeks after being moved to house arrest, and denied suggestions that he had been tortured by the authorities. Protasevich, a critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko and his crackdown on the opposition, was arrested along with his girlfriend in Minsk…