Belarus blocks entry of US ambassador as retaliation for sanctions

Belarus on Wednesday blocked the U.S. ambassador from entering its country in response to new sanctions President Biden imposed on Monday.

The White House levied new sanctions on Belarus on Monday, one year after the country held an election that was considered by many to be fraudulent. The election secured the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, his sixth term in office.

Lukashenko responded to protests against the election by enforcing a crackdown in the country, resulting in the arrest of more than 35,000 people and the police beating thousands of others, according to The Associated Press.

Members of Lukashenko’s government, the Belarus Olympic Committee, which is accused of money laundering, and Belaruskali OAO, a state-owned company that allegedly supplies the government with illicit funds, were targets of Biden’s new sanctions.

Anatoly Glaz, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, criticized the U.S.’s acts as “blatant and openly hostile,” and revealed that the country was pulling the appointment of Julie Fisher to be U.S. ambassador to Belarus, according to the AP.

He also ordered the U.S. to reduce its embassy staff in Minsk to five diplomats by Sept. 1.

“In view of Washington’s actions to halt cooperation in all spheres and strangle our country economically we see no reason in the presence of a significant number of diplomats at the U.S. diplomatic mission,” Glaz said in a statement, according to the AP.

Belarus agreed to Fisher’s appointment in December, setting the scene for her to become the first U.S. ambassador to Belarus since 2008, according to the news wire. The country, however, never issued her an entry visa.

Fisher has instead been based in Lithuania, where she reportedly communicates with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger who took on Lukashenko last August.

Tsikhanouskaya, however, was ultimately ousted from the country following pressure from authorities, the AP reported.

Biden met with Tsikhanouskaya at the White House in July.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price addressed the situation in Belarus during a press conference on Wednesday, pinning the blame on the eastern European country for deteriorating its relationship with the U.S., specifically pointing to the way they treat their citizens.

“It is important to remember in all of this and to acknowledge that Belarusian authorities are responsible for the deterioration in U.S.-Belarus relations through relentless repression against their citizens. And that includes through the intensifying crackdowns that we have seen targeting members of civil society, targeting media, targeting athletes, students, legal professionals, and other citizens,” Price said.

Price defended the White House’s decision to slap new sanctions on Belarus. He also said the administration is “disappointed” with the status of the U.S.’s relationship with the country, but said it would continue to work with allies to “promote shared interests.”

“What we know is that a sovereign, independent Belarus that respects the democratic will of its citizens, their human rights, and the country’s international obligations, that is in not only the interests of the Belarusian people, but also the United States. We are disappointed to be where we are now in terms of our relationship with Belarus, but we’ll continue to work with our allies and partners to promote shared interests,” Price said.

On the recall of Fisher, Price said the U.S. government, the ambassador herself and individuals at the embassy in Minsk will “continue to support the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus.”

“U.S. diplomats will continue to engage with Belarusians, including leaders of the pro-democracy movement, media professionals, students, and other elements of civil society, wherever they are,” he added.