Belarus closes borders with Poland and Lithuania

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a speech at the Minsk Women's Forum on September 17, 2020. TUT.by via AP

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The Belarusian authorities announced this Thursday, September 17 the closure of the borders with its neighbors Poland and Lithuania while the protest has not weakened since the presidential election of August 9, whose results are disputed by the opposition. 

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More than a month after the start of the political crisis in Belarus, the disputed President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday announced that he was forced to close the borders with Poland and Lithuania.

Stepping up controls at the Ukrainian border is also planned.

A decision that is not that surprising and that many experts thought it would take faster.

This announcement comes the day after a visit by the Russian Defense Minister and only three days after

visit

and when the armies of the two countries are carrying out joint maneuvers.

How to interpret this announcement?

The statements of the head of the intelligence services who accuses the United States of fomenting a revolution by financing bloggers and by training activists suggests that Alexander Lukashenko now has support from Moscow.

Moreover, this decision comes only a few hours after the confirmation of the trip of

to Brussels next Monday.

The candidate, who claims victory in the August 9 ballot, hopes to convince European leaders of the need to impose significant sanctions on regime officials.

Sanctions that could be announced at the European summit scheduled for September 24 and 25.

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• Belarus

• Alexander Lukashenko

• Poland

• Lithuania

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