The United States will close its embassy in Minsk, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Monday after reports that Belarus may join Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The US government has also warned Belarus that it could risk additional sanctions if it helps Vladimir Putin continue his attack. Last week, President Joe Biden announced sanctions against 24 Belarusian legal entities and individuals for his role in Russia’s attack.
Blinken also gave the green light to non-essential staff at the US embassy in Moscow, citing “security and safety issues” caused by Putinan unprovoked attack on his neighbor.
On the question of the threat of Belarus joining the deadly battle, a the White House said an official CNN it was a “very close observation of these events.”
“We have said that to the extent that Belarus continues to support and encourage Russian aggression in Ukraine, they will also face consequences,” the official said.
“We have already introduced some of these measures. These costs will continue to grow much higher.
DailyMail.com contacted the White House for comment.
The announcements came as Kiev officials representing President Vladimir Zelensky and Kremlin officials held potential peace talks on Ukraine’s border with Belarus.
View of the wreckage after a rocket hit buildings as Russian attacks continue in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on February 28. Fighting continues even as Moscow and Kyiv officials meet for talks
Cars are stopped by a blockade by civil defenders on the road leading to central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, February 28
“The US State Department has suspended operations at our embassy in Minsk, Belarus and allowed the voluntary departure (” authorized departure “) of non-emergency staff and members of our family at our embassy in Moscow, Russia,” the statement said. Blinken.
“We have taken these steps due to security and safety concerns arising from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine.”
He added that his department was “constantly adjusting its position” in positions around the world “in line with its mission, local security environment and health situation”.
“Ultimately, we do not have a higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens, and that includes our government staff and their dependents who serve around the world,” Blinken said.
Increased fears that Belarus could join Putin’s war come after Sunday’s referendum approved a new constitution that rejects the country’s non-nuclear status, meaning it could potentially host Russian weapons.
Belarus, which borders both Russia and Ukraine, is ruled by Alexander Lukashenko, who has allied closely with Putin.
Although not directly involved in Russia’s war, Belarus has allowed Vladimir Putin to deploy troops within its borders and even conduct large-scale military exercises there, as in the February 19 photo, days before the invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says non-essential officials at the US embassy in Moscow could leave on Monday, citing Putin’s “unprovoked and unjustified” actions in Ukraine.
Blinken says the United States will also close the US embassy in Belarus after reports surfaced that strong dictator Alexander Lukashenko could join Vladimir Putin’s military effort.
The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Washington Post, said: “This is very clear [Belarus’ capital] Now Minsk is a continuation of the Kremlin.
The official did not give an indication of how many troops and where they will be stationed.
The new constitution may see nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil for the first time since the country renounced them after the fall of the Soviet Union. On Sunday, speaking in a polling station, Lukashenko he said he could ask Russia to return nuclear weapons to Belarus.
Belarus has supported Russia’s military efforts, but has so far not been directly involved in the conflict. It allows Moscow’s troops to be stationed on its border with Ukraine and conduct large-scale military exercises shortly before Putin personally orders his troops to attack.
The revelation came hours after Ukraine’s state security service officially announced that a rocket attack on Zhytomyr Airport, about 93 miles west of Kyiv, had been launched from Belarus.
Belarusian special forces have been spotted loading into planes in preparation for an air strike against Kyiv, which could be an extension of the war, military sources said.
Ukrainian intelligence reportedly learned from Belarus that “special” troops had been spotted loading planes for a major attack.
The West has already said it will not recognize the results of the referendum in Belarus, which is being held amid widespread repression against the government’s domestic opponents. According to human rights activists, there are more than a thousand political prisoners in Belarus as of Sunday
Russian forces have met with strong opposition from Ukrainian defenders, and US officials say they believe the invasion was more difficult and slower than the Kremlin had predicted, although that could change as Moscow adapts. .
Speaking directly familiar with current US intelligence assessments, the US official said the decision to bring Belarus into the war depended on talks between Russia and Ukraine in the coming days.
On Sunday night, Lukashenko threatened a chilling threat that Western sanctions against Russia were pushing the Kremlin toward World War III.
What follows is Putin’s order for troops to be ready for a potential nuclear war this morning.
Lukashenko’s comments came when Kyiv and Moscow agreed to hold peace talks on the border with Belarus – although Zelensky acknowledged he was unsure of the positive decision, adding that he owed his people at least a try to get involved.
Deployment could significantly affect these peace talks.
On Monday, the United States tightened economic sanctions against Russia as the Ukrainian military continues to offer historic and unprecedented resistance to Kremlin attacks.
The Ministry of Finance announced that it is applying sanctions against the Russian Central Bank, as well as investment funds
The move was described as the most important action the finance ministry has taken against Russia’s economy, according to a senior administration official who told reporters about the sanctions on condition of anonymity.
This was said by representatives of the Biden administration Germany, FranceUnited Kingdom, ItalyJapan, European Union and others will join the United States in targeting Russia’s central bank.
“The unprecedented action we are taking today will significantly limit Russia’s ability to use assets to finance its destabilizing activities and direct the funds on which Putin and his inner circle depend to allow him to invade Ukraine,” the minister said in a statement. of Finance Janet Yellen.
The Treasury Department said the move effectively immobilized all Russian-owned or US-held assets in the United States and would severely limit Putin’s ability to mitigate previous sanctions.
The Biden administration estimates that the move could affect “hundreds of billions of dollars” in Russian funding.