Russian troops may be deployed in Belarus if a new world war is imminent, says Lukashenka after USA imposed largest tranche of sanctions against his friends

Washington DC/Minsk: On the one-year anniversary of what it termed as “Belarus’s fraudulent presidential election”, the United States government has taken “decisive action” against forty-four individuals and entities in order to hold Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his regime to account for its continued, violent repression of Belarusians inside and outside the country.

A defiant Lukashenka today said in Minsk Russian troops may be deployed in Belarus” if a new world war is imminent”. He made the statement during a meeting with representatives of the general public, experts, and mass media titled as the Big Conversation with the President, according to the Belarusian news agency BelTA. It quoted Lukashenko as saying:“If necessary, it will not be just a base here. All the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will be deployed here. In what conditions? If a new world war is imminent.”

Lukashenko, while pointing out that it was disadvantageous for Belarus and Russia to deploy Russian bases in Belarus at present, stated that “But if need be, all the Armed Forces will be here because Belarus is not a foreign land for Russia regardless of who the president is here. And it will not be a foreign land”.

Pursuant to a new Executive Order the US President Joe Biden signed today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated forty-four individuals and entities – 23 individuals and 21 entities.

Those designated include Belarusian businessman Mikalai Varabei (Varabei), who is also sanctioned by Canada, the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom (UK). whose company was granted exclusive control over the transit of coal through Belarus by the Lukashenka regime; and Aliaksey Aleksin (Aleksin) whose fortune is derived from the tobacco industry, through which Lukashenka has provided Aleksin a near-monopoly on production of tobacco products in Belarus.

Besides, OFAC also designated five Government of Belarus officials including Belarus’ Minister of Transport and Communications Aliaksei Mikalaevich Auramenka (Auramenka), as well as Aleh Haidukevich (Haidukevich),  a Belarusian member of parliament, in connection with the Ryanair incident (On May 23, 2021, Belarusian authorities forced the diversion of commercial Ryanair flight 4978 while the flight was in Belarusian airspace en route to Lithuania.  Once the plane landed in Minsk, Belarusian officials detained journalist Pratasevich and his partner, who were on board the Ryanair flight.  Both Pratasevich and his partner continue to be detained by Belarusian authorities). 

Today’s action represents the largest Belarus-related tranche of designations imposed by OFAC to date. As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt.  These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Also read:

• Belarus will survive the ‘viruses’ from the West, Lukashenko tells Putin
• Putin again condemns EU sanctions against Belarus which he calls Russia’s closest ally

President Biden said today that rather than respect the clear will of the Belarusian people, the Lukashenka regime had perpetrated election fraud, followed by a brutal campaign of repression to stifle dissent.

“From detaining thousands of peaceful protesters, to imprisoning more than 500 activists, civil society leaders, and journalists as political prisoners, to forcing the diversion of an international flight in an affront to global norms, the actions of the Lukashenka regime are an illegitimate effort to hold on to power at any price,” Biden said. He asserted that it was the responsibility of all those who care about human rights, free and fair elections, and freedom of expression to stand against this oppression.

“The United States will continue to stand up for human rights and free expression, while holding the Lukashenka regime accountable, in concert with our allies and partners,” he said and declared that it was toward that end, today, the the USA issued a new Executive Order that” enhances our ability to impose costs on the regime and announcing new sanctions against Belarusian individuals and entities for their role in attacks on democracy and human rights, transnational repression, and corruption”.

Biden said that as he had  told the leader of the Belarusian opposition, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, “we stand with the people of Belarus as they bravely pursue their democratic aspirations”.

The US Department of Treasury stated that the persons designated today “are involved in the “continuing violent crackdown on peaceful protests; are connected to the May 23, 2021, Ryanair incident; or, profit from or sustain the Belarusian regime at the expense of the Belarusian people”.

This is the latest action OFAC has taken, in coordination with transatlantic partners, since last year’s fraudulent election to demonstrate international unity against what the US termed as the Belarusian regime’s repression, and in support for the Belarusian people’s “democratic aspirations”.

Antony J. Blinken, US Secretary of State, said these sanctions were the latest in a series of efforts demonstrating our determination to take action in the face of the increased repression and sharply deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus.

OFAC targeted, among others, entities and individuals, including state-owned enterprises, government officials, and others, who support the regime, facilitate its violent repression of the Belarusian people, and violate the rule of law, Blinken said.  He added: “Democratic countries are stronger when they stand together. Alongside these U.S. actions, we welcome the steps taken today by the United Kingdom and Canada against the regime and those announced by the European Union on June 24. The United States further commends the ongoing close coordination with Lithuania and Poland as a demonstration of the steadfast international resolve in supporting the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations.

“These steps are a further consequence to the Belarusian authorities’ continued flagrant disregard for human rights and Belarus’s failure to comply with its obligations under international human rights law,” Antony J. Blinken, US Secretary of State, said today.He claimed over 600 political prisoners were unjustly detained by Lukashenka, independent media outlets were raided and shuttered, and Belarusian authorities were attempting to silence NGOs and vital members of civil society. “Moreover, this repression does not occur solely within Belarus’s borders, as Belarusians abroad also face intimidation.  This repression features blatant disregard of international norms, as displayed by the brazen forced diversion of Ryanair flight 4978 for the purpose of arresting a Belarusian journalist, the dangerous attempt to intimidate the EU – in particular, our Ally Lithuania – by orchestrating irregular migrant flows on Belarus’s border, and most recently the attempted forced repatriation of Belarusian Olympian Krystsyna Tsimanouskaya, who has been offered a humanitarian visa by Poland.  These acts of transnational repression cannot be tolerated and must stop.  The United States stands in solidarity with our Allies and partners in responding to these threats,” Blinken said.

The United States called on the Belarusian authorities to end the crackdown on members of civil society, the media, athletes, students, legal professionals and other citizens, immediately release all political prisoners, engage in a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and civil society, as called for in the OSCE Expert Mission report, and hold free and fair elections under international observation.  “We will continue working with the international community to hold to account those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Belarus. We stand with the people of Belarus in support of their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Blinken said.

– global bihari bureau