About: Alexander Lukashenko
Tens of thousands march in Belarus despite police threat to open fire
Belarusian police on Sunday (18 October) detained more than 200 people as tens of thousands marched against strongman Alexander Lukashenko in defiance of police threats to open fire after weeks of demonstrations.
Belarus allows police to use combat weapons as protests persist
Belarus police will now be permitted to use combat weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said, as security forces again clashed with protesters who want President Alexander Lukashenko to quit after a contested 9 August election.
EU agrees to sanction Lukashenko, impose Russia sanctions over Navalny poisoning
EU foreign ministers on Monday (12 October) agreed to impose sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and move forward with a sanctions framework against the culprits involved in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Police in Belarus crack down on protesters, detain dozens
Security forces in Belarus detained dozens of protesters on Sunday (11 October) and used force, including water cannon and batons, to break up crowds demanding a new presidential election, TV footage showed.
EU leaders unblock Belarus sanctions, issue ‘carrot and stick’ warning to Turkey
After weeks of bickering, EU leaders broke a longstanding deadlock to impose sanctions against members of the Belarus regime on Friday night (2 October) and fired a warning at Turkey over its gas drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean.
EU leaders meet to break stalemate over Belarus and Turkey
EU leaders meet physically for an extraordinary summit in Brussels on Thursday (1 October) in an attempt to break the deadlock over imposing sanctions on Belarus and resolving a standoff with Turkey, both crucial for the EU's credibility on the international scene.
UK, Canada impose sanctions on Lukashenko
Britain and Canada on Tuesday (29 September) slapped sanctions on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, his son and senior figures in the regime for a string of alleged human rights violations.
Macron: ‘It is clear Lukashenko has to go’
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday (27 September) that Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko must step down, after the EU refused to recognise him as the legitimate president of the ex-Soviet country.
EU urged to sanction Lukashenko as struggle with Cyprus continues
Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Monday (21 September) urged the EU to show courage and impose sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko's government, as the bloc continues to face internal squabbles about sanctions ahead of a crucial foreign policy summit later this week.
Tens of thousands defy police crackdown to protest in Belarus
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk Sunday (20 September), defying a heavy security presence that included water cannon and armoured vehicles.
Lukashenko closes borders with Poland and Lithuania, says he doesn’t want ‘war’
Belarus will close its borders with EU neighbours Poland and Lithuania and step up security measures at the Ukrainian frontier, President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Thursday (17 September).
Seventeen OSCE nations appoint team to probe Belarus election fraud, torture
Seventeen members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have appointed an independent team of experts to investigate alleged rights violations in Belarus' August presidential election.
Poland proposes billion-euro EU fund for Belarus
Poland on Thursday (17 September) proposed an EU stabilisation fund for Belarus worth at least one billion euros, as a top opposition leader prepared to meet EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
European Parliament: Lukashenko should not be recognised as Belarus president
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko should no longer be recognised as president from November when his term expires, the European Parliament said on Thursday (17 September), calling for European Union economic sanctions to be imposed on him.
Putin throws $1.5 billion lifeline to Belarus leader
Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed a $1.5 billion loan on Belarus in a gesture of support for its leader Alexander Lukashenko, who flew to entreat his patron for help after five weeks of mass protests demanding his resignation.
EU, Germany, Britain pressure Belarus on snatched opposition figure
The EU on Monday (7 September) led calls for Belarus to immediately release over 600 people arrested for protesting against a controversial election that extended strongman Alexander Lukashenko's 26 years in power.
Belarus arrests hundreds as opposition figure ‘kidnapped’
Belarus said on Monday (7 September) that police had detained more than 600 people at weekend protests and the opposition said a senior figure had been snatched off the streets, as authorities intensified efforts to end weeks of demonstrations.
Canada, US, EU and Britain discussing sanctions against Belarus
Canada, the United States, the European Union and Britain are discussing possible sanctions against Belarus over its crackdown against protests following a disputed election, a Canadian source directly familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (2 September). If sanctions were...
Baltic states ban Lukashenko amid crackdown on opposition
The Baltic states on Monday (31 August) banned embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as he cracked down further on the opposition movement following another huge rally at the weekend.
EU foreign ministers agree to move forward on Belarus sanctions
EU foreign ministers reached a political agreement in Berlin on Friday (28 August) on punitive measures against high-ranking supporters of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to pressure him into holding new elections.
In Berlin, EU credibility to be determined by fine line between Belarus and Turkey
EU foreign ministers meeting in Berlin are struggling to agree on the bloc's planned sanctions against Belarus and at the same time come up with an adequate response to Turkey over the escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Putin vows military support for Belarus’ Lukashenko
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed military support for embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday (27 August), while urging a peaceful resolution to unrest and demonstrations that erupted after a disputed election. EU ambassadors in the capital Minsk on Thursday...
Russia warns US, EU against Belarus sanctions, interference
Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday (25 August) it had warned the United States and European Union against imposing sanctions on its ally Belarus and interfering in its internal affairs.