A new round of EU sanctions is expected to take a bite out of the Belarusian economy. But the measures cutting off exports destined for Europe could also unintentionally be a boon to another Western adversary Russia.
The parents of the jailed Belarusian blogger detained after his international flight was forcibly diverted to Minsk have appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for assistance to secure his release, according to Germany's Bild.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has warned that Belarus may be slipping "into pariah status" after it recently forced a civilian aircraft to land in Minsk to arrest opposition activist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend.
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The U.S. envoy to Minsk says Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has increased his dependence on Russia to a point where he barely has a say within his own country, even over its military.
Ambassador Julie Fisher, who has been unable to take up her post in Minsk because the Belarusian government has denied her a visa, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 9 that Lukashenka has shown a willingness “to increase dependency on Russia in every possible sphere.”
Fisher said it was not new that Russian troops are in Belarus, but the question of how many is new, adding that the United States will be monitoring upcoming military exercises between Belarus and Russia.
RFE/RL President Says Lukashenka Has Discussed Adopting Foreign Agents Law
June 09, 2021 19:38 GMT
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WASHINGTON RFE/RL President Jamie Fly told a U.S. Senate committee on June 9 that Belarusian authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka has discussed copying Russia’s “foreign agents” law to further restrict media freedom in Belarus.
Fly, who testified remotely before the Foreign Relations Committee, outlined how the Russian law has affected RFE/RL’s operations in Moscow, saying the tactic of imposing such laws to restrict the free flow of information is spreading as authoritarian leaders are “learning from each other” and adapting such approaches in different forms and at different speeds.