U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo stated about the possible consideration of anti-Belarusian sanctions by Washington due to the latest events in this country as the U.S. Department of State reported.
“We were incredibly troubled by the election and deeply disappointed that it wasn’t more free and more fair. We’ve seen this behavior before, and we regret that this is how it’s transpired. Then we’ve watched the violence and the aftermath, peaceful protesters being treated in ways that are inconsistent with how they should be treated,” Pompeo noted.
According to him, the U.S. will work with the European partners on the measures aiming to reach the positive results for the Belarusian people.
Answering the question about the plans of the consideration of the sanctions against Belarus by the U.S., including the stop of supplies of oil, Pompeo admitted such a possibility.
“I’m sure we’ll look at each of these things, and the important thing to note is the criteria. What is it that we believe that we can do, not just the United States unilaterally, but in a multilateral way to deliver good outcomes for the Belarusian people, whether that turns out to be sanctions or turns out to be making decisions about product deliveries? Those are all things that are yet to be determined,” Pompeo noted.
According to him, everything depends on settlement of the situation in Belarus in the near future.
On August 9, the clashes of the protesters with the law enforcers started in Minsk. The law enforcers used stun grenades and water cannons against the protesters. Besides, according to the witnesses, about 11:10 p.m., the prison track ran into a group of people standing at the carriageways. Later, it was reported that a man died during the protests. A young man received a fatal head injury. According to the Belarusian Interior Ministry, no deceased observed during the protests.
Besides Minsk, the protests took place in eight cities of Belarus – Lida, Baranovichi, Brest, Grodno, Zhodino, Zhlobino, Pinsk, Kobrin.
On August 10, protests against the results of the presidential elections were resumed in the Republic of Belarus, a flash-noise grenade exploded in the center of Minsk; journalists talked about three volleys at the intersection of Kalvariyskaya Street and Masherov Avenue.
During three nights of protests in Belarus, over 6,000 people were detained; about 500 were hospitalized. Over 40 criminal proceedings were opened. According to Belarusian mass media, the location of some detainees is still unknown.
As we reported, the city administration of Minsk estimated the damage from the riots at more than 200,000 dollars.
