https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-belarus-b1d4987188116085560ea474cfd54afc Belarus on Wednesday rescinded its permission for the U.S. ambassador’s appointment and told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in retaliation for Washington’s sanctions.
President Joe Biden’s administration slapped Belarus with new sanctions Monday, the anniversary of last year’s election in Belarus that was denounced by the opposition as rigged. Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko responded to protests against his re-election to a sixth term with a sweeping crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police.
The new U.S. sanctions target Belarus’ giant potash producer that has been a top revenue earner for the country, the Belarusian National Olympic Committee and 15 private companies with ties to Belarusian authorities.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz on Wednesday denounced the U.S. action as “blatant and openly hostile” and announced the decision to rescind an earlier agreement for the appointment of Julie Fisher as the U.S. ambassador to the country.
He said Belarus also told the U.S. to cut its embassy staff in Minsk to five diplomats until Sept. 1.
“In view of Washington’s actions to halt cooperation in all spheres and strangle our country economically we see no reason in the presence of a significant number of diplomats at the U.S. diplomatic mission,” Glaz said in a statement.
