Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
2019 Belarus Special Weapons News
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- Russia Agrees To Short-Term Gas Deal With Belarus Amid Union Push RFE/RL 31 Dec 2019 -- Russia and Belarus have reached an agreement on gas prices for just the first two months of 2020 as the Kremlin pushes for the integration of the two countries.
- Minsk Sees Fifth Protest Over Closer Relations With Russia RFE/RL 29 Dec 2019 -- Around 100 Belarusians protested in downtown Minsk on December 29 against the prospect of deeper relations with Russia, the fifth such demonstration in the past month.
- More Protests In Minsk Against Closer Integration Between Belarus, Russia RFE/RL 21 Dec 2019 -- Demonstrators gathered again in Minsk to protest plans for greater integration between Belarus and Russia.
- Belarus Death Squad? Chilling Claims A Shock But No Surprise, Some See Kremlin Hand RFE/RL 18 Dec 2019 -- Shock, awe, and disbelief. Even in Belarus, where rights activists say President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has employed brutal tactics to quash opponents and maintain power for a quarter-century, a fresh claim that a death squad that eliminated perceived foes of the authoritarian leader two decades ago have led jaws to drop.
- Former Belarusian Police Officer Says He Was Involved In Killing Of Lukashenka Critics RFE/RL 16 Dec 2019 -- A former officer with a Belarusian police special unit said he participated in the murder of opposition activists, and he was now seeking political asylum in an unnamed European country.
- Belarus To Borrow $500 Million From China As Russia Stalls RFE/RL 14 Dec 2019 -- Belarus plans to borrow $500 million from China to pay down existing debt as talks about a loan from Russia drag on.
- Hundreds Protest In Minsk For Second Day Against Deeper 'Integration' With Russia RFE/RL 08 Dec 2019 -- Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Belarusian capital on December 8 for a second day to oppose "deepening integration" with Russia, despite warnings from police that they risked possible arrest.
- Hundreds Protest In Minsk As Putin, Lukashenka Discuss 'Integration' Under Union Treaty RFE/RL 07 Dec 2019 -- Hundreds of people marched through the Belarusian capital on December 7 to protest plans to further integrate with Russia in what correspondents hve called one of the biggest unsanctioned rallies there in recent times.
- Day Of Reckoning: As Pressure Mounts, Belarusians Balk At Prospect Of Russia Merger RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- His signature helped dissolve the Soviet Union - and he believes his native Belarus has relinquished much of the independence it gained as a result.
- Belarus's Lukashenka Touts Equal Partnership With Russia Ahead Of Meeting With Putin RFE/RL 05 Dec 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has reaffirmed his country's commitment to a strategic partnership with Russia, though there are no talks currently on establishing a joint parliament.
- OSCE Says 'Fundamental Freedoms Were Disregarded' In Belarusian Vote RFE/RL 18 Nov 2019 -- International observers have concluded that "fundamental freedoms were disregarded" in snap parliamentary elections in Belarus in which opposition candidates failed to win a single seat.
- Lukashenka Confirms He Will Seek Another Presidential Term As Belarusian Legislative Elections Wind Down RFE/RL 17 Nov 2019 -- As Belarusian voters cast their ballots in elections for the country's rubber-stamp parliament, strongman leader President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has confirmed that he will seek another term in the country's 2020 presidential election.
- For Beleaguered Belarusian Opposition, Elections Are Not About Winning RFE/RL 14 Nov 2019 -- Ihar Barysau, a chairman of the opposition Belarusian Social-Democratic party, looked out at the rows of empty seats in an auditorium in Minsk.
- In Austria, Lukashenka Expresses Hope For Better Ties With EU RFE/RL 12 Nov 2019 -- On a visit to Austria, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka defended Belarus's human rights record, as he called for closer relations with the European Union.
- EU Takes Another Step Toward Visa Liberalization With Belarus RFE/RL 09 Oct 2019 -- European Union ambassadors have approved a visa-facilitation plan with Belarus, a step that could eventually lead to smoother travel to the bloc for citizens of the former Soviet republic.
- Dozens Assemble In Minsk Over Possible Integration With Russia RFE/RL 07 Oct 2019 -- Dozens of people have rallied in Minsk's Freedom Square against their country's possible integration with Russia.
- Belarus Pardons Ukrainian Man After Kyiv Releases Belarusian 'Spy' RFE/RL 04 Oct 2019 -- Belarus has pardoned a Ukrainian man sentenced to 8 years in prison on espionage charges a day after Ukrainian authorities released on his own recognizance a Belarusian citizen also charged with spying.
- How Russia's Interference In Ukraine Has Altered U.S. Policy Toward Belarus RFE/RL 03 Oct 2019 -- While U.S. relations with Russia remain out in the cold five years after Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, ties with Belarus appear to be quickly thawing.
- Lithuania Holds 'Emergency Drills' As Belarus Nuke Plant Nears Completion RFE/RL 02 Oct 2019 -- Lithuania is holding a four-day national emergency nuclear drill amid mounting concerns as a Russian-made nuclear power plant in neighboring Belarus nears completion.
- Envoy: U.S., Belarus To Bring Back Ambassadors After 11-Year Pause RFE/RL 17 Sep 2019 -- The United States and Belarus plan to resume hosting ambassadors after an 11-year hiatus amid mutual growing concern over Russia's foreign policy.
- Russia, Belarus Launch 'Union Shield' Military Drills RFE/RL 13 Sep 2019 -- The Russian and Belarusian militaries have launched weeklong joint exercises in the Nizhny Novgorod region, west of Moscow.
- Bolton Says U.S.-Belarus Dialogue Necessary, Despite 'Significant Issues' RFE/RL 29 Aug 2019 -- U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton has called for the United States and Belarus to engage in a dialogue about their common interests, despite "significant issues" in their bilateral relations.
- Exclusive: Belarus's Lukashenka, Weary Of Russia Union, Seeks To Buy U.S. Crude RFE/RL 22 Aug 2019 -- Belarus is seeking to buy U.S. oil for its refineries for the first time as it strives to diversify supplies away from its more powerful, energy-rich neighbor Russia, RFE/RL has learned.
- Lithuania Buys $1 Million Worth Of Iodine Pills As Belarus Prepares Nuclear Power Plant Launch RFE/RL 19 Aug 2019 -- Lithuania says it expects to receive more than 4 million iodine tablets ahead of the planned launch of neighboring Belarus's first power plant later this year.
- Flexible Stagnation: How Lukashenka Has Held On To Power For 25 Years In Belarus RFE/RL 20 Jul 2019 -- In 1994, the last Russian troops left Germany and the Baltic states, bringing a symbolic end to the Cold War. The same year saw the Rwandan genocide, and American entrepreneur Jeff Bezos launched an online bookseller called Amazon.
- Putin, Lukashenka Meet Again To Discuss Integration Via Union State RFE/RL 18 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in St. Petersburg on July 18 to discuss further integration within the Russia-Belarus Union State, a grouping that has existed mainly on paper after it was established in the 1990s.
- Belarus To Get Money From China To Pay Off Russian Debts RFE/RL 10 Jul 2019 -- Belarus has almost completed talks on borrowing $600 million from China, an amount which would be used to repay debts to Russia, Belarusian Deputy Finance Minister Andrey Byalkavets said.
- Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Belarus The White House 13 Jun 2019
- Text of a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Belarus The White House 13 Jun 2019
- Nazarbaev Presents Nazarbaev Medals To Putin, Lukashenka, Jeenbekov In Nur-Sultan RFE/RL 29 May 2019 -- Former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has awarded the presidents of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus a medal named after the longtime authoritarian leader during a summit of a grouping of ex-Soviet republics in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, which is also named after him.
- Lukashenka Proposes Kazakhstan Ship Oil To Belarus RFE/RL 23 May 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has proposed opening talks with Kazakhstan on possible oil shipments to Belarus, the state-run Belta news agency reported on May 23.
- Belarusian President Says Damages From Contaminated Russian Oil 'Enormous' RFE/RL 11 May 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said that the cost of damages from contaminated oil received via the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline was "enormous" and that Belarus expects compensation from Russia.
- Belarus Says 'Clean' Russian Oil Arriving Again Via Druzhba Pipeline RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- Belarus's state-run oil-transport firm Belneftekhim says "clean" Russian oil shipments have begun to arrive in Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline after a weeklong shutdown caused by the contamination of Russian supplies.
- Moscow Officials Meeting In Minsk With Oil Firms To Discuss Druzhba Pipeline Cuts RFE/RL 26 Apr 2019 -- Officials from Russia's Energy Ministry are meeting in Minsk on April 26 with oil transport firms from Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine to discuss the contamination of Russian oil shipments through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline that has caused deliveries to be cut.
- Belarus, Poland Stop Accepting Russian Oil Via Druzhba Pipeline, Citing Poor Quality RFE/RL 25 Apr 2019 -- Poland and Belarus have stopped accepting shipments of Russian oil through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, saying Western buyers in Poland and Germany cannot accept the Russian crude because it is contaminated and of poor quality.
- Lukashenka Calls Belarus's Next Presidential Election For 2020 RFE/RL 19 Apr 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has announced that the country's next presidential election will be held in 2020, but the parliamentary elections will be held in 2019.
- Lukashenka Lambasts Moscow For 'Sanctions,' Threatens To Suspend Russian Oil Flow To Europe RFE/RL 11 Apr 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has lambasted Moscow for what he called "sanctions" against Belarusian goods and hinted he could block Russian oil deliveries to Europe.
- Belarus Criticizes Russian Ambassador's Statements On Minsk-Moscow Ties RFE/RL 15 Mar 2019 -- Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatol Hlaz has criticized Russian envoy to Minsk Mikhail Babich's recent public statements about the two countries integration, calling them "artificial and juggled figures."
- Lukashenka Says Belarus Must Balance Policies Between East, West RFE/RL 05 Mar 2019 -- Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenka has said that his country "must overcome the cold" of a "standoff" between Russia and the European Union by "equally " balancing its foreign policy between East and West.
- Lukashenka Says Russia Won't 'Swallow' Belarus, But Further Integration A 'Must' RFE/RL 01 Mar 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says Russia has no intention of "swallowing" Belarus but added that further integration between the two countries is a "must."
- Council of EU Prolongs Arms Embargo on Belarus Until End of February 2020 Sputnik 25 Feb 2019 -- The Council of the European Union has decided to prolong arms embargo on Belarus, as well as sanctions introduced against four Belarusian nationals, until the end of next February, the council said in a statement.
- If US Deploys Missiles in Europe, We Will Have to React - Belarus President Sputnik 22 Feb 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier warned that Moscow would be "forced" to answer in kind if the US deployed new medium- and short-range missiles in Europe amid its recent withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
- EU Extends Belarus Arms Embargo RFE/RL 20 Feb 2019 -- EU ambassadors on February 20 extended for another year an arms embargo against Belarus and sanctions on four Belarusian citizens.
- Belarus Always Ready To Be EU's 'Reliable' Partner, Says Lukashenka RFE/RL 18 Feb 2019 -- MINSK -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says his country "Will always be the European Union's partner."
- Sources Say EU Set To Extend Belarus Arms Embargo RFE/RL 15 Feb 2019 -- EU officials have agreed to extend for another year the bloc's arms embargo against Belarus, several sources familiar with the negotiations who are not authorized to speak on the record told RFE/RL on February 15.
- Hungary Holding Back On Vote On Extending Belarus Arms Embargo RFE/RL 04 Feb 2019 -- Hungary is once again threatening to poke a hole in the European Union's long-standing arms embargo against Belarus, sources not authorized to speak on the record have told RFE/RL.
- Analysis: Under Moscow Pressure, Could Belarus's Balancing Act Come Crashing Down? RFE/RL 20 Jan 2019 -- Speculation that the merger of Russia and Belarus is just over the horizon has become so strident in recent weeks that top officials in both countries have made efforts to refute it.
- Belarus Looking Into Russian Detention Of Former Model Who Claimed Kremlin Election Meddling RFE/RL 18 Jan 2019 -- The Belarusian Embassy in Moscow says it is looking into the case of a Belarusian model who was detained by Russian authorities after landing in Moscow following her deportation from Thailand.
- Russia Detains Belarusian Escort Claiming Trump Secrets RFE/RL 17 Jan 2019 -- Russia has detained a Belarusian model who claimed she had evidence of the Kremlin's efforts to help Donald Trump win the presidency, reports from Moscow say.
- In Diplomatic 'Breakthrough,' Belarus Removes Limit On U.S. Envoys Allowed In Minsk RFE/RL 11 Jan 2019 -- The U.S. journal Foreign Policy reports that Belarus has lifted a long-standing limit on the number of U.S. diplomats allowed in the country.
- Belarusian Leader Warns Russia Over Energy Dispute RFE/RL 10 Jan 2019 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has warned Russia that it could lose its ally if Moscow fails to offer Minsk compensation for higher oil prices.
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