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Tsikhanouskaya Calls On U.S. To Slap More Sanctions On Belarusian Regime

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service July 20, 2021

Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is in the United States to seek more American support for the Belarusian pro-democracy movement against strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime, says she has asked U.S. officials to impose sanctions on Belarusian companies in key sectors such as potash, oil, wood, and steel.

Tsikhanouskaya, who on July 19 met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, and State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, told journalists on July 20 that she gave them a list of enterprises, among them state-owned Belaruskali producer of potash fertilizer, that should be further targeted.

Such additional sanctions would go beyond existing punitive measures on Lukashenka's cronies and government bodies and "will be a real hit on him, to make him change his behavior and to release political prisoners," Tsikhanouskaya told reporters.

On July 20, during a webinar sponsored by the Atlantic Council think tank, Tsikhanouskaya called for much tougher action by the world's democracies against Lukashenka.

Belarus has been mired in turmoil since a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that gave Lukashenka his sixth consecutive term in power.

Lukashenka has since put down street protests and dissent over the vote with sometimes lethal force, jailing thousands of people and forcing most opposition leaders who haven't been imprisoned to leave the country.

The opposition says the vote was rigged and Tsikhanouskaya, who has been in exile in Lithuania since Lukashenka launched his crackdown, was the true winner.

"I think it's high time for democratic countries to unite and show their teeth," said Tsikhanouskaya, who planned to hold talks with U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House and visit the Senate for meetings with lawmakers from both parties.

The State Department said in a statement on July 19 that the talks with Tsikhanouskaya focused on "the need for the ongoing Lukashenka regime crackdown to end, along with the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus, and an inclusive political dialogue and new presidential elections under international observation.

"Further, they emphasized the United States' enduring support for the Belarusian people's democratic aspirations," it added.

The West refuses to recognize the official results of the election and does not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader. The European Union, the United States, and other countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against the 66-year-old, some of his family members, other senior officials, and on key economic sectors.

Meanwhile, Lukashenka maintains support from key ally and financial backer Russia.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tsikhanouskaya- belarus-white-house/31368240.html

Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.