Tikhanovskaya urged the US to strengthen sanctions against Belarus/DW
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tikhanovskaya called on the United States to impose sanctions against Belarus identical to those of Russia. This is necessary so that the terrorist country cannot bypass the restrictions.
Tikhanovskaya said that during meetings with the US State Department and members of Congress, she discussed both strengthening future sanctions and eliminating loopholes in existing ones. She also provided the US government with evidence of the participation of the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in the war against Ukraine.The leader of the Belarusian opposition is sure that the sanctions against Belarus should be the same in strength as those against Russia, but differ in structure. The restriction should be aimed at state-owned banks and enterprises in Belarus.
Tikhanovskaya noted that she spoke with officials in Washington about how to make sanctions more effective, close remaining loopholes, freeze Lukashenka's assets and block money provided to him by the International currency fund. To close loopholes, the oppositionist suggested applying secondary sanctions.
We see how Russia uses Belarus to circumvent its own sanctions,” Tikhanovskaya said.
However, according to her, Western sanctions affect the Lukashenka regime, because in recent weeks the Belarusian foreign minister sent several letters asking for rapprochement .
“I hope that Lukashenka will not be able to deceive democratic countries again, as he did many times before,” the oppositionist added.
Lukashenko is also a participant in the war against Ukraine
Tikhanovskaya met with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Head of the US State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination Jim O'Brien. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also partially took part in it.She gave O'Brien documents with evidence of Lukashenka's participation in the war against Ukraine and a list of companies and countries that helped to circumvent sanctions. The oppositionist noted that these were “massive evidence” of missile launches and the movement of Russian equipment on the territory of Belarus.
“This is inside information about any internal orders to place various Russian military equipment on our territory. People collected this information throughout the entire period of the war. They are well documented, and we handed this evidence over to the government,” Tikhanovskaya said.
She added that she does not believe that the Belarusian army participated in launching missiles towards Ukraine. However, Lukashenko gave the land to Russian President Vladimir Putin for use at his request.
“This is already a world war. We are so afraid of a third world war, but it is already ongoing. This is a war between democracy and autocracy,” the oppositionist summed up. Belarus: in brief
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus still persists.
- Deputy head of the board of the Center for Defense Strategies Alina Frolova said that Russian forces and equipment is deployed on Belarusian territory along the border with the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
- In addition, Russian infidels are deploying electronic intelligence systems and conducting air defense exercises near the border with Ukraine.
- Advisor to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Vadim Denisenko noted that the troops of the invaders remain on the territory of Belarus, so it is impossible to say that the threat of an offensive from the Belarusian direction has completely disappeared. At the same time, as of April 29, it is minimal.
