Media: Latvia starts digging anti-tank ditch near border with Russia
The Latvian army has started to dig an anti-tank ditch as part of its first defensive line near the border with Russia, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported on May 2.
Belarus
Opinion: Russia's war may have opened Pandora's box for Belarus
As Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine rages on, the stability of neighboring Belarus, which has been backing Russia's aggression, appears to be fracturing. Has Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression opened a Pandora's box for a regime that is practically a remote wing of the Kremlin? Recall that, in
Media: Lukashenko building luxury residence near Sochi
The residence is reportedly being built in the elite Russian resort town of Krasnaya Polyana on a plot of more than 97,000 square meters.
Poll: 74% of Ukrainians feel negatively towards Russians
More than two-thirds of Ukrainians feel negatively toward Russians, while around one-third feel negatively towards Belarusians, according to a survey by the Kyiv Mohyla Academy's School for Policy Analysis on April 30.
Belarus Weekly: Belarus classifies depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships as 'pornography'
Belarusian parliament passes bill expanding Investigative Committee's access to citizens' personal data without their consent. Lithuanian parliament rejects conservative proposal to cancel residence permits of Belarusians traveling to their home country. Subscribe to the Newsletter Belarus Weekly Join us In a move mirroring Russia, Belarus’s Culture Ministry classifies depictions
Lithuania ridicules Belarusian claim of thwarted drone attack
Major Gintautas Ciunis, a representative of the Strategic Communications Department of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, promptly denied the unsupported allegations soon after.
Polish president: Poland ready to deploy allied nuclear weapons on its territory
Speaking to Fakt, Polish President Andrzej Duda highlighted how Russia has already taken similar steps with its own allies, having transferred tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus last year.
Poland detains Belarusian, two Poles over attack on Navalny's aide
"A Belarusian working for Russia who ordered two Poles to assassinate Navalny's associate – detained," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. The two attackers are also in custody, he added.
Reuters: Kremlin clamps down on officials' travel over state secret fears
Pressure is being placed on all government ministries by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), driven by a fear that officials could be entrapped while abroad and forced into giving up state secrets.
Opinion: Why is Ukraine rejecting the Belarusian opposition?
Immediately after World War II, the Paris-exiled Polish intellectual Jerzy Giedroyc (of Lithuanian origins, born in Minsk) coined a phrase that would come to define Poland’s foreign policy toward its eastern neighbors: “There will be no independent Poland without an independent Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.” Since the fall of
US expands sanctions against Belarus
The latest sanctions package targets entities that profit from Russia's war in Ukraine, including a state-owned machine tool building company, a radio communications firm, and a software development company.
Lukashenko, Putin hold 4-hour meeting in Moscow
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a nearly four-hour meeting until late on April 11, according to Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.
NGO: Belarusian man accused of insulting Lukashenko dies in jail awaiting trial
According to the Viasna human rights group, Aliaksandr Kulinich is the sixth political prisoner to die behind bars in Belarus in the last two years.
Mine explosion injures 3 in Rivne Oblast
The mine exploded in the north of Rivne Oblast, near the border with Belarus, according to Rivne Oblast Governor Oleksandr Koval.
Shmyhal: Ukraine proposes allies to ban air transit to Russia, Belarus
Ukraine proposed to ban air transit to Russia and Belarus as part of the sanctions policy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during his visit to Lithuania on April 5.
Lukashenko decides to suspend Belarus from European Conventional Armed Forces treaty
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko agreed to introduce a bill on the suspension of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) to the lower house of the country's parliament, Lukashenko's press service reported on April 5.
French company Danone starts dissolution of its last subsidiary in Belarus
The yogurt maker has been operating in Belarus since 2008. Danone had previously divested its stakes in two Belarusian factories located in Pruzhany and Shklou, according to the news story.
Lukashenko tightens grip on power as regime prepares for new elections
Around a month before Russia held its presidential elections that were neither free nor fair, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko held his own election-style event. The Central Election Commission of Belarus, controlled by the country’s dictator, claimed an unprecedented 73% turnout. Elections in Belarus, similar to those of neighboring Russia,
Belarus begins military drills near borders with EU, Ukraine
The exercises, which the defense ministry said were intended to simulate defense scenarios in the case of martial law being implemented, will be held in the western Hrodno Oblast and the southern Homel Oblast, north of the Ukrainian border.
Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko torpedoes Putin's attempts to blame Moscow shooting on Ukraine
Belarusians detained for commenting on the Moscow mass shooting, while Alexander Lukashenko torpedoes Putin's attempts to blame the attack on Ukraine. Belarusian authorities launch a massive raid targeting over 100 "People's Embassies" activists who seek to represent exiled Belarusians in their countries of refuge. Lukashenko inspects military drills held near
Reuters: Russia turns to Belarusian gasoline amid decreasing domestic supplies
Russia is increasing imports of gasoline from Belarus to avert possible shortages connected to recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, Reuters reported on March 27, citing four undisclosed trade and industry sources.
Fearing reprisals, Turkmenistan to repatriate students in Russia after terror attack
Authorities in Turkmenistan are working on repatriating Turkmen students studying in Russia, fearing retaliation over last week’s terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, RFE/RL reported on March 26.
Investigation: Belarusian timber enters Poland under false documents, bypassing EU sanctions
Belarusian timber enters the EU market despite sanctions, being supplied to Poland under false documentation passing it off as Kazakh wood, a joint media investigation published on March 26 said.
Lukashenko claims Moscow attackers tried to flee to Belarus, undermines Putin's narrative
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said that the suspects who carried out the terrorist attack in Moscow on March 22 initially tried to flee to Belarus, state-run news outlet Belta reported on March 26. s
Russia accuses Olympic Committee of ‘racism and neo-Nazism’ over opening ceremony decision
The Kremlin has accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of “racism and neo-Nazism” over its decision to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this summer.
Russian, Belarusian athletes barred from Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to take part in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this summer, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on March 19.
Financial Times: EU to impose tariffs on grain from Russia, Belarus
The European Union is planning to impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus to appease farmers and some member states, the Financial Times (FT) reported on March 19, citing people familiar with the plans.
Czechia to propose EU-wide grain import ban on Russia, Belarus
Czechia is planning to propose a ban on grain imports from Russia and Belarus into European Union countries at next week's European Council meeting, Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny said on March 17.
RFE/RL: Belarus sentences Ukrainian to 9 years in prison for alleged 'espionage'
The regional court in Belarus' Homyel sentenced Ukrainian citizen Nataliia Zakharenko to nine years in prison on espionage charges, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on March 15, citing its sources and Zakharenko's relatives.
Media: EU to propose restrictions on Russian, Belarusian grain imports
European Commission will present a proposal next week on restricting Russian and Belarusian agricultural imports, Polish news outlet RMF24 reported on March 13, citing an anonymous EU diplomat.
Belarus announces 'comprehensive' check of its military's combat preparedness
The check will include live-fire exercises and the movement of military hardware on public roads that could limit civilian access.
Polish parliament calls on European Commission to ban agricultural goods from Russia, Belarus
Calling the European Commission to impose sanctions on Russian agricultural goods was one of the suggestions proposed by Ukraine to Poland to solve the ongoing blockade led by Polish farmers.
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