Officials announced on February 28 that the United States has closed an embassy in the capital of Belarus, a neighboring country of Ukraine, and all American staff have left the country.
Belarus borders Ukraine and Russia, sending troops through the space and causing additional frontal attacks on Ukraine, U.S. officials say.
“Russians are clearly moving what they need to move in their own country and Belarus, as they see fit,” a senior US official told reporters over the weekend.
Julie Fisher, a US special envoy in Belarus, said the move to close the Minsk embassy was partly due to Belarus’ “collusion with Russia’s war with Ukraine.”
“Belarus authorities have taken a series of hostile actions to limit [the embassy’s] The ability to work with the Belarusian people to promote American interests, such as forced headcount reductions, the closure of USAID Belarus, and the closure of the US Cultural Center in Minsk, “she said, and the United States is still committed to the Belarusian people. Or other diplomatic posts.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken closed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and allowed non-urgent employees and families to leave “safety and security resulting from an unjustified attack by Russian troops in Ukraine. It’s due to a problem. ” “
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and has since sent additional troops to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to Belarus on Sunday, saying that allowing Belarus to launch an attack from its territory is “a de facto referendum for you, the Belarusians.” Was done.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said in a vote on Sunday that “the war should end today” and that there are “no soldiers” in Ukraine in Belarus.
Lukashenko will ensure that all troops stationed in his country remain there during the peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials that began in Homeri on Monday. Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Zelensky are present.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir McKay told the gathered officials that “you may feel absolutely safe,” Lukashenko said, “at these talks today, we will find solutions to all the serious problems. I hope I can do it. “
follow
Zachary Stieber features US news and stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is based in Maryland.