Belarus

A collection of 25 posts

Olympics: Russian, Belarusian Athletes Gain Support From Sports Bodies

Athletes from Russia and Belarus on Tuesday moved closer to being able to compete at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris after representatives of several international sports federations and national Olympic committees voiced their support at the Olympic Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland....

Sports

US Added 336K Jobs in September, Nearly Doubling Expectations

The US blew past the economist forecasts, adding 336K jobs in September despite Washington’s efforts to cool the economy and lower inflation....

Money

US Urges Citizens to Leave Belarus

The US on Monday urged Americans in Belarus to leave the country immediately.

Politics

Lithuania Closes 2 Border Crossings with Belarus

The Lithuanian government said on Wednesday that it will temporarily close two border crossings with Belarus — Tverecius and Sumskas — saying that traffic will be diverted to the Medininkai border checkpoint, which is the largest of Lithuania’s six crossings with the country.

Politics

Belarus Ruler: Prigozhin Back in Russia

Belarusian Pres. Aleksandr Lukashenko stated on Thursday that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian private military company Wagner who had agreed to move to Belarus under a peace deal with the Kremlin, has returned to Russia.

Ukraine-Russia

Russia Says Wagner Chief Agreed to Move to Belarus

Under a deal brokered by Belarusian Pres. Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to move to Belarus after Kremlin said criminal charges against Prigozhin of mounting an armed mutiny will be dropped.

Ukraine-Russia

Belarus Pardons Journalist Roman Pratasevich

On Monday, the Belarusian government pardoned Roman Protasevich, an opposition activist, who was arrested in 2021 after the government forced his Ryanair overflight to land in Minsk. Protasevich had earlier this month been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Social issues

Belarus: Lukashenko Absence After Health Report

Longtime Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was absent from the country's annual "National Flag, Emblem and Anthem Day" celebration on Sunday, fueling speculation on his health.

Politics

Belarusian Activist Protasevich Sentenced to 8 Years in Jail

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich, 27, who stands accused of committing 1,586 crimes including organizing mass riots and calling for sanctions against Belarus, was sentenced by a Belarusian court on Tuesday to eight years in prison, BELTA news agency has reported.

Belarus

Wimbledon Reverses Ban on Russian, Belarusian Players

The All England Club (AELTC) has lifted a ban imposed last year on Russian and Belarusian players at Wimbledon, it was announced Friday. Their participation will be subject to a number of conditions, including that they feature as 'neutral athletes.'...

Belarus

NATO Condemns Putin's Decision to Station Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Belarus

NATO has slammed the weekend announcement from Vladamir Putin that the Russian president plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.

Ukraine-Russia

Putin To Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons In Belarus

On Saturday, Russia reached an agreement with Belarus — which shares a long border with Ukraine — to station tactical nuclear weapons on the latter's territory. Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin argued the deal would not violate international obligations under nuclear non-proliferation agreements.

Ukraine-Russia

Belarus Opposition Leader Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

A Belarusian court sentenced exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison after a trial in absentia on charges including conspiring to overthrow the government....

Belarus

Finland Building Fence on Russian Border

On Tuesday, Finland — worried about a surge in Russians fleeing the country — started construction of a 124-mile (200 km), 10-foot (3 m) tall barbed-wire fence along its land border with Russia, covering 'riskier areas' such as border crossings....

Politics

Day 369: Belarus Group Claims Responsibility for Attack on Russian Surveillance Aircraft

A Belarusian anti-goverment group known as BYPOL — which was last year labeled a terror organization by the country's prosecutor general — has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Russian surveillance aircraft at an airfield near Minsk on Sunday....

Russia

Lukashenko: Belarus to Fight Alongside Ally Russia 'Only' if Attacked

Belarusian Pres. Aleksandr Lukashenko on Thursday told journalists in Minsk that his country — which is continuing to host Russian troops — would only join Moscow's war against Ukraine if Belarus were to come under attack, even by a single soldier....

Metaculus

Day 355: Russia Claims Gains Along Ukraine Frontline

Russia's defense ministry said on Monday that its troops had managed to advance a few kilometers west in four days of fighting, without specifying where the advances were made. The claim couldn't be independently confirmed....

Metaculus

Poland Closes Belarus Border Checkpoint

Poland's Interior Ministry on Thursday announced the indefinite closure of the main Bobrowniki-Bierestowica border checkpoint with Belarus starting on Friday at noon, reportedly leaving only two crossing points open along the whole border....

Media

Day 343: Russian Forces Claim 'Operational Encirclement' of Bakhmut

Pro-Russia officials from the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) claimed on Wednesday that their forces have largely encircled the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, which is referred to as Artyomovsk in Russian

Russia

Broad Coalition to Boycott 2024 Olympics if Russian, Belarusian Athletes Compete

Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk stated on Thursday that a coalition of up to 40 countries — including Britain, Canada, and the US — could potentially boycott the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete

Ukraine

Broad Coalition to Boycott 2024 Olympics if Russian, Belarusian Athletes Compete

Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk stated on Thursday that a coalition of up to 40 countries — including Britain, Canada, and the US — could potentially boycott the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete.

Sports

Ukraine Warns Against Russia, Belarus in 2024 Olympics

On Thursday, Ukraine's sports minister and president of the country's National Olympic Committee, Vadim Guttsait, warned that if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allows Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2024 Paris games, Ukraine may decide to boycott them.

World

Former Wagner Commander Seeks Asylum in Norway

Andrey Medvedev, a former high-ranking member of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, has reportedly defected to Norway and has been transported to Oslo as he seeks asylum.

World

Belarusian Nobel Prize Winner on Trial in Minsk

The trial of 60-year-old Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski began on Thursday. He is among hundreds of Belarusians who were jailed during a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2020 and faces 12 years in prison if convicted.

Social issues

Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian Activists

Jailed Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian organization Memorial, and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties group have jointly been awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for their work documenting human rights abuses.

World