Baltic States impose travel ban on Lukashenko & Belarusian officials to 'set example'

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, on August 31, imposed a travel ban on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other officials in a move to inspire the west to take firm actions on the leader. The three Baltic nations had led the call to sanction the Belarusian “dictator” who has been accused of rigging the presidential elections to prolong his rule of 26 years. Though not specified, the list of officials includes all those who apparently allied with Lukashenko to rig elections and also take violent actions against the protestors.

'To set an example' 

Stating a need to “set an example” for the other European states, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that they previously asked for peaceful dialogue between the regime and society, but “regime wasn’t ready for that” The European Union has been working on its own list of individuals in Belarus to target with similar sanctions, but Western countries have mostly been cautious, wary of provoking intervention from Russia.

Read: Huge Protest On Belarus Leader’s Birthday Demands He Resign

Read: Russia's Putin To Meet Belarusian Counterpart In Moscow In Coming Weeks

Tsikhanouskaya to speak at UNSC

This comes as the country’s opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was reportedly invited to address the United Nations Security Council on September 4, Friday by Estonia. Tsikhanouskaya’s spokesman reportedly said that she will speak by a video link at the invitation of Estonia, which is currently a non-permanent member of the body. No additional information regarding what the meeting is going to be about was revealed. 

On the other hand, Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in Moscow, the Kremlin revealed on August 30. Lukashenko, who has been surrounded by controversies ever since Presidential elections took place in Belarus, had previously asked for Putin’s support to control the unrest in his nation. Complying to his request President Putin had, on August 26, vowed military support to the embattled leader.

Read:  Belarus Protests: Thousands Join Opposition March, Dozens Arrested

Read: Belarus' Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya To Address UNSC On September 4