#polish sanctions against belarus

[tomorrowusa]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, one of the world's least intellectually gifted leaders, is basically a pawn of Vladimir Putin.

Lukashenko (or Lukashenka if you use the Belarusian transliteration of his surname) is telling the world, "join Belarus and Russia and we'll give you nukes!"

President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that nations who are willing “to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus” will be given nuclear weapons, days after confirming the transfer of some tactical nuclear weapons from Moscow to Minsk had begun.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made the comments in an on-camera interview released Sunday on the state-run Russia 1 channel.

During the interview, Lukashenko said, “no one minds Kazakhstan and other countries having the same close relations that we have with the Russian Federation.”

“It’s very simple,” he added. “Join the Union State of Belarus and Russia. That’s all: there will be nuclear weapons for everyone.”

It gets more obvious with each passing day why Ukraine wants to have absolutely nothing to do with Lukashenko and Putin.

So far I am unaware of any country willing to take Lukashenko up on his offer.

Most movement internationally has been away from the Lukashenko régime in Belarus. In fact, Poland has imposed new sanctions against Belarus.

Poland suspends freight traffic on border with Belarus from June 1

If the régime in Moscow begins to collapse, Lukashenko will be gone before the collapse is complete.

[zvaigzdelasas]

[LRT is Lithuanian State Media]

When Radosław Sikorski last served as Polish Foreign Minister, the relations between Vilnius and Warsaw were marked with animosity, demands, and apologies. He is now returning to the post in the newly formed government of Donald Tusk. What does this mean for Polish-Lithuanian relations? [...]

In 2008, Sikorski compared the situation of Poles in Lithuania to that of the Polish minority in Belarus, where Lukashenko persecuted and imprisoned activists of the Polish Union. This caused an uproar in Lithuania, and it was suggested that Sikorski may have been offended by Lithuania’s failure to support his nomination as NATO Secretary General.[...]

But one of the most unpleasant episodes took place during the visit of Polish President Lech Kaczyński to Vilnius in 2010 when the Seimas rejected the government’s proposal to allow Polish surnames to be written in the original language. Sikorski and other Polish leaders accused Lithuania of failing to address the issues of the country’s Polish minority and limiting education in Polish schools. They complained about infrastructure projects, the treatment of Orlen investors at the Mažeikiai oil refinery, the ban on displaying signs with Polish street names, as well as the alleged disruption of the return of land to people of Polish descent.

At one point, Sikorski even said that Poland was considering economic sanctions against Lithuania, and Polish leaders threatened to “not set foot in Lithuania until the Polish issues in Lithuania are resolved”. The disputes were also noticed abroad. In 2012, The Economist wrote that the Polish-Lithuanian ties are “bafflingly bad and getting dangerously worse”. Both countries reportedly felt that the other side should apologise and make concessions, which was also worrying for the US, NATO, and the EU.[...]

Sikorski is a graduate of Oxford University, and his spouse is the world-renowned historian Anne Applebaum. Earlier, Sikorski worked as a reporter for British publications covering the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and later the conflict in Angola.[...]

Under PiS, Poland had close relations with Vilnius, while the Russian threat and the invasion of Ukraine made it necessary to put grievances aside.

19 Dec 23

[warcrimesimulator]

A Belarusian court has sentenced Andrzej Poczobut – a journalist and leading figure in Belarus’s ethnic Polish community – to eight years in prison for “inciting hatred” and “the rehabilitation of Nazism”.

Poland’s prime minister condemned the verdict, calling it “an inhumane decision by the Belarusian regime and yet another example of Polish persecution in Belarus”, while the foreign ministry called for “an end to the actions against Poles in Belarus and immediate release of all political prisoners”.

Even before the trial, which began on 16 January, Poczobut had spent more than 460 days in custody, unable even to contact relatives by phone.

The Belarusian authorities accused Andrzej Poczobut of “inciting hatred,” and his actions – involving the cultivation of Polish culture and the publication of historical articles – were characterised as “rehabilitation of Nazism.” He was also accused of calling for sanctions and acting against the interests of Belarus.

Poczobut was detained, along with three other Polish minority leaders, including Andżelika Borys, the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB), in March 2021. Their arrests came as part of a wider clampdown on Belarus’s large ethnic Polish community after Poland supported the Belarusian opposition in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections.

[mariacallous]

Poland will build a wall on its border with Kaliningrad in light of last month’s news that the airport in the Russian exclave is allowing flights from the Middle East and Africa, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Wednesday.

The move by the Russian aviation authorities to liberalise air traffic with Kaliningrad has sparked fears in Poland that Russia is preparing to open up a new route into the EU for migrants tempted to the exclave by the Kremlin to be used as pawns in a hybrid war against the West, in the same way the regime of Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko has done since last year.

The new wall on the border with Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave located between Lithuania and Poland, is set to be two metres tall and three metres wide, made up of three layers of barbed wire, and cover the entire 200-kilometre length of Poland’s border with the exclave, Blaszczak said.

“We want to ensure that the border is airtight,” Blaszczak explained. “Because the airport in Kaliningrad was opened for flights from the Middle East and Africa, I decided to take actions which will increase security on the Polish-Russian border.”

The Polish defence minister was referring to the reported statement from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency on September 30 that said, following an appeal from the governor of the Kaliningrad region, the Kharbrovo airport in Kaliningrad would enter a so-called “open skies” mode for a period of two years from October 1.

“This mode allows foreign airlines to operate flights to/from Kaliningrad using the third, fourth, fifth and seventh freedom of airspace,” the statement from the Federal Air Transport Agency said, according to Russian news agency TASS.

This seventh freedom of airspace allows national carriers, for example, to transport passengers between a third country and Kaliningrad, without the need for the flight to be connected to the home state of the carrier – establishing a de facto foreign hub. Hypothetically, Belavia, the Belarusian national carrier, could henceforth bring into Kaliningrad passengers from the Middle East and Africa without any restrictions.

Since the summer of 2021, tens of thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa, have tried to enter the EU by irregular crossings of the Belarusian-Polish and Belarusian-Lithuanian borders. The migrants were drawn to Belarus by the authorities, bussed to the country’s EU borders and then herded across, often violently, as a means to destablise the EU in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Minsk for the rigged presidential election in the autumn of 2020 and subsequent violent crackdown on protestors.

The policy was widely regarded to have been formulated in connivance with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who analysts say could be now looking for a new way to punish the West for its support of Kyiv in his failing war with Ukraine.

Tens of migrants are still currently trying to enter Poland daily, according to the Polish Border Guard, despite the construction of a 5.5-metre wall on the relevant section of its border with Belarus.

[head-post]

Lukashenko misquotes Polish minister, claiming that Polish mercenaries helped in Kursk offensive operation

Polish mercenaries fought arm-in-arm with Ukrainian troops during the Kursk offensive, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with Russian state television, misquoting Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Belarusian media reported.

Ukrainian troops crossed the Russian border on August 6 and launched an offensive on the Kursk region. According to Lukashenko, the Kyiv troops included Polish volunteers.

The troops involved in the Kursk offensive “were gathered from the entire line of contact” and “mostly they were people who already had experience of war,” while “the rest were mercenaries, Poles and so on and so forth,” the Belarusian leader said in an interview with a Russian TV channel.

He expressed confidence that the Russian army would defeat the Kyiv soldiers who invaded the Russian territory. The escalation of the conflict could lead to the worst scenario for Ukraine, Lukashenko said. The Belarusian president also added:

“If it continues like Kursk, there will be an escalation that will end with the destruction of Ukraine. Nobody has ever been defeated, and nobody will defeat Russia.”

“How can NATO cope here?” Lukashenko asked rhetorically, saying the Americans had one policy – to turn Europe against Russia. “Let them fight. And then they will deal with the Chinese in the east,” he added.

Closing the border with Belarus

Speaking about Poland, the Belarusian president also commented on the misquoted statement of Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak (Civic Platform, EPP), reported by the Polish private TV station Polsat News.

Siemoniak allegedly said there was a basis for agreements with Minsk “on some difficult issues, such as the opening of border crossings.” Lukashenko commented:

“Well, I would like to know what this basis is. This is a very good statement.”

In fact, in an interview with private radio ZET, Siemoniak was asked about the possibility of closing the entire border with Belarus if Minsk continues its hybrid activities, such as supporting migration, which Poland has accused Lukashenko’s regime of doing since mid-2021.

“We have to take into account our own interests, and we are considering various options,” the minister said, noting that some border crossings have already been closed. He added that Poland expects Belarus to stop hostile actions.

Lukashenko argued that the possible complete closure of the Polish-Belarusian border would not hurt Minsk. He also added:

“It’s the same for both Russia and Belarus. They (the West) have imposed sanctions on us. We don’t go there, which means we don’t export anything. (…) We don’t trade with them. They have decided to close the border. Fine, then”.

The Belarusian president added that Poland should not go to war against Russia or Belarus and should resume economic co-operation with these countries. He expressed his belief that the policy of Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Civic Platform, EPP) towards Belarus is rejected by the majority of Polish society.

Lukashenko’s claims are refuted by public opinion polls. 71.8 per cent of Poles believe that Poland should close the border crossing with Belarus to force Minsk to change its policy, according to an IBRiS Institute poll published in July.

Read more HERE

[mirecalemoments01]

Poland Imposes EU Ban on All Russian-Registered Passenger Cars

In a decisive move, Poland has recently enacted an essential European Union (EU) sanction that prohibits all Russian-registered passenger cars from entering its territory. This decision is a significant development in the ongoing geopolitical tension surrounding Russia's involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The ban, initiated in line with the broader sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU, is a manifestation of the collective stance adopted by EU member states against Russia's actions. The EU's decision to bar motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation from entering its territory underscores the gravity of the situation in Eastern Europe. The move reflects the EU's commitment to holding Russia accountable for its role in the Ukraine crisis. The ban is not merely a symbolic gesture but a concrete measure aimed at exerting economic pressure on Russia and its citizens. The announcement of this ban came from Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski, who affirmed, "A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland." The ban took effect swiftly, commencing at midnight after the announcement. This action is part of a broader strategy to respond to the Ukraine conflict, primarily driven by the EU's perception of Russia as a current threat to international security. Poland's decision to implement this ban aligns with the actions of other neighboring Baltic states, namely Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which have similarly prohibited vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territories. This unified response underscores the solidarity and cohesion within the EU, demonstrating a coordinated approach to addressing the crisis. The timing of this ban is significant, coming just days after a joint interpretation of EU sanctions on Moscow by the Baltic states. Poland, along with the Baltic states, has been at the forefront of European criticism of Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin. This alignment of Eastern European countries in their stance against Russia highlights a regional effort to hold Moscow accountable for its actions. Notably, Poland shares a land border with Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave separated from the Russian mainland. This geographic proximity adds complexity to the enforcement of the ban, as it applies equally to all vehicles attempting to cross into Poland, regardless of the border they seek to traverse. This uniformity in implementation reinforces the severity of the sanctions. Moreover, Poland's geographical positioning in Eastern Europe places it adjacent to Belarus and Ukraine, two nations deeply impacted by the Ukraine conflict. The ban's implications extend beyond Russia, as it directly influences the flow of traffic and trade in the region, potentially affecting Belarusian and Ukrainian citizens as well. Poland's strategic position within the EU and its proximity to the conflict zones underscores its role as a key player in addressing the crisis. The Border Guard agency, responsible for enforcing the ban, has outlined clear procedures for handling Russian-registered cars. These vehicles, regardless of the driver's nationality, will be returned to the non-EU country from which they originated. This uncompromising stance signifies Poland's commitment to implementing the sanctions rigorously. The ban on Russian-registered passenger cars entering Poland represents a tangible manifestation of the EU's collective response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. It serves as a diplomatic and economic tool to convey the EU's disapproval and to pressure Russia into altering its course of action. In the broader context of the Ukraine conflict, Poland's role as an EU member state with significant border responsibilities amplifies the importance of this decision. In response to these sanctions, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's Security Council, chaired by President Vladimir Putin, criticized the European Commission's move, characterizing it as racist. He hinted at potential retaliatory actions, such as suspending diplomatic ties with the EU and recalling Russian diplomats from Brussels. This exchange underscores the gravity of the situation and the potential for further diplomatic strain. As the ban remains in effect, the diplomatic fallout and economic implications will become clearer. Poland's resolute implementation of the ban sets a precedent for the EU's response to Russia's actions, making it a pivotal development in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The region watches closely as this situation unfolds, as it holds the potential to significantly impact international relations and the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe. In conclusion, Poland's enforcement of the EU ban on Russian-registered passenger cars entering its territory is a bold and consequential step in response to Russia's actions in the Ukraine conflict. This decision reflects the EU's collective resolve to hold Russia accountable and serves as both a diplomatic message and an economic pressure point. Poland's strategic location and its border responsibilities make this decision particularly impactful in the broader context of the crisis. The international community will closely monitor the repercussions of this ban, recognizing its potential to reshape the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe Why did Poland impose a ban on Russian-registered cars? Poland implemented the ban as part of broader EU sanctions against Russia in response to its actions in the Ukraine conflict. The ban aims to exert economic pressure on Russia.How does the ban impact diplomatic relations between the EU and Russia? The ban has the potential to strain diplomatic ties, as Russia has criticized it as a discriminatory measure. Future developments in diplomatic relations remain uncertainWhat are the economic implications of this ban for the region? The ban can disrupt trade and transportation routes, affecting not only Russia but also neighboring countries like Belarus and Ukraine. It may lead to economic challenges in the region. Read the full article

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 8/9/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 8/9/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui on Sunday called for world leaders to recognize the “folly” of nuclear deterrence at a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the US dropping an atomic bomb on the city, killing an estimated 140,000 people. AWC

Russia

The majority of Americans oppose additional spending on the war in Ukraine, according to a CNN poll that was released on Friday. AWC

The US, China, and India attended talks on the Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia on Saturday that were aimed at convincing neutral countries to support Ukrainian demands for a peace deal. AWC

Russia has vowed it will respond to a Ukrainian attack that hit a Russian oil tanker in the Black Sea near Crimea on Friday night, which came after Ukraine’s first strikes on a Russian commercial port. AWC

The acting governor of Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast said Sunday that Ukrainian forces used British-provided Storm Shadow missiles to strike a bridge that connects Kherson to Crimea. AWC

Ukrainian drones struck a Russian commercial port for the first time since the start of the war. Novorossiysk was shut down for a few hours after it was hit by Ukrainian air and sea drones. Two percent of the world’s oil supply and grain are shipped from Novorossiysk. AWC

A Ukrainian official said Thursday that the US and Ukraine have started talks on security guarantees for Ukraine, part of a plan for Washington to provide long-term military support for Kyiv. AWC

The International Monetary Fund has said it expects the Russian economy to grow by 1.5% this year despite the US-led Western sanctions campaign against the country, which President Biden once vowed would “turn the ruble into rubble.” AWC

Ukrainian forces have still made no breakthroughs against Russian forces in the counteroffensive despite sending thousands of more troops to the front for a renewed push in the southeast, POLITICO reported Tuesday, citing unnamed Pentagon officials. AWC

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed on Thursday that Wagner fighters were deployed to Belarus in an attempt to “destabilize” bordering NATO countries, which the alliance refers to as its eastern flank. AWC

The Times of London reported Thursday that the British Royal Air Force intercepted 50 Russian planes over Estonia in the past four months while it led NATO’s air policing mission on Russia’s border. AWC

The White House is expected to formally ask Congress to authorize additional funding for the Ukraine war as soon as this week, Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. AWC

The first batch of Abrams tanks that the US is providing Ukraine was authorized for shipment over the weekend and is expected to arrive in the country in early fall, the US Army’s top acquisition official said Monday. AWC

A Ukrainian official told POLITICO on Tuesday that all Russian ports and ships, including commercial vessels, are considered legitimate military targets as the war in Ukraine is escalating in the Black Sea. AWC

A Western official told CNN in an article published Tuesday that it’s “extremely” unlikely that Ukraine will make progress in its counteroffensive in the coming weeks that will alter the balance of the war with Russia. AWC

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that US-provided cluster bombs are fueling the Ukrainian counteroffensive and detailed how Ukrainian forces are using the civilian-killing munitions against Russian soldiers. AWC

The US deployed four Navy destroyers in response to Russian and Chinese vessels operating near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, which stretch far into the northern Pacific Ocean. AWC

Iran

The US military may place armed troops on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would significantly raise tensions between the US and Iran, The Associated Press reported Thursday. AWC

Niger

Nigeria’s Senate has warned against military intervention in neighboring Niger after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu requested backing for such an action against Niger’s new military junta. AWC

President Biden on Thursday called for the immediate release of Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, who’s been detained since being ousted by a military coup last week. AWC

Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland traveled to Niger’s capital Niamey on Monday and held what she described as “difficult” talks with members of the junta that ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in a July 26 coup. AWC

Read More

[cyberbenb]

Media: Wagner continues to recruit new fighters

The Wagner Group continues to recruit new mercenaries, the independent Russian news outlet Important Stories reported on Aug. 2, citing their investigative research.

The unnamed journalist found Telegram channels where Wagner volunteers reported that the private military company plans to resume recruitment in August.

This is despite the group’s own claim on July 30 that it had “indefinitely” suspended recruitment of new members as it possesses sufficiently “large personnel reserves.”

As part of the investigation, the journalist posed as being interested in joining the group, and was told by a veteran representative in Novosibirsk that Wagner recruitment takes place on Fridays. The representative claimed that recruitment was only paused during the armed “rebellion” in June.

The veteran representative also told the journalist that he would only be recruited to join the group if he had a passport, as “the main direction of recruitment is African countries."

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko allegedly helped broker a deal for Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops to relocate to Belarus after their uprising in late June stopped short of reaching Moscow.

While the details of the deal remain undisclosed, the group announced on July 2 that it had suspended recruitment of new members in Russia for a month. The Russian Defense Ministry said later that it had confiscated thousands of pieces of military equipment from Wagner, including tanks, armored vehicles, and other heavy hardware.

Minsk subsequently confirmed that Wagner fighters are present in Belarus to provide training support to the Belarusian military.

Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported on July 27 that the paramilitary organization is recruiting fighters in Belarus under the condition that they are ready to participate in hostilities in Poland and Lithuania.

The redeployment of Wagner mercenaries to Belarus has alarmed eastern members of NATO. The Polish military began to reinforce its eastern border, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned that the Wagner Group fighters could infiltrate Poland to conduct a “hybrid attack on Polish territory."

However, the White House said on Aug. 1 that the group poses no direct threat to NATO and that some Wagner fighters have moved to Africa in an attempt to “increase instability” in  countries there.

Russia’s influence on Africa exaggerated, experts say

When Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, it received nearly universal condemnation for its aggression. Yet, while most Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, most African states were mute. Many African countries chose to remain silent on the war – and became a major destinat…

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Romandash

[xtruss]

‘Fucked-up Poland’ Bills EU €2 Bln For Weapons Sent To Ukraine 😂😂😂

© Photo: Ministry of Defense of Poland

Warsaw has delivered over €2.3 billion in weapons and military equipment to Ukraine over the past year, putting it third overall in arms aid behind only the United States and Britain. Now, Poland is apparently looking to get most of that money back to support the country’s own rearmament.

Poland has billed the European Union for the vast majority of the military equipment and weapons it has transferred to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has confirmed.

"We have issued invoices for €2 billion euros, and this is very good news for Poland, for the Polish budget – very good news which I bring back to Poland from the European Council summit," Morawiecki said in an interview with a Polish broadcaster on Saturday.

“€2 billion is, if you round it up, nearly 10 billion Polish zlotys. With this money, we can buy state-of-the-art equipment,” the prime minister added.

Morawiecki also said that Warsaw is considering invoicing Brussels for the 14 Leopard 2 main battle tanks Poland has agreed to send to Kiev.

Poland announced plans to double the size of its Army in late 2021 from 150,000 to 300,000 troops, and has subsequently made plans to raise defense spending to 4 percent of GDP – the highest in percentage terms within the NATO alliance.

The Eastern European country has taken advantage of the crisis in Ukraine by sending vast quantities of old Soviet-era weapons to Kiev in exchange for cash from the EU’s Orwellian-named ‘Peace Fund’, but has so far received less than €200 million from Brussels, according to Morawiecki.

While billing the EU for arms sent east, Warsaw has also criticized some of its neighbors, particularly Germany, for being "not as generous" as they should be in supporting Kiev militarily. Berlin ought to be "sending more weapons, sending more ammunition, and giving more money to Ukraine, because they are the richest and the biggest country by far," Morawiecki said in a separate interview this week.

In Saturday’s conversation, Morawiecki admitted that it NATO's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine has hit a snag – political fatigue and a lack of resources.

“Today, there is much less willingness and appetite for further sanctions. I think there is fatigue,” the prime minister said. He added, however, that he is “cautiously optimistic that we will be able to convince our partners for further packages” of restrictions against both Russia and Belarus in the weeks to come.

On the weapons front too, Morawiecki said that while "efforts will be made to multiply" the production of armaments "as quickly as possible" by Polish defense factories, "it is an open secret here in Brussels that there is no ammunition in Europe."

Polish Support For Ukraine

Warsaw has been at the forefront of cheerleading NATO’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with the vast majority of the tens of billions of dollars in weapons and military equipment sent to Kiev through Polish territory. Polish authorities have also long been supporters of the expansion of the EU and NATO into Ukraine, and actively supported Ukraine’s opposition ahead of the 2014 Maidan coup d’état in Kiev.

While many Poles have expressed support for the government’s policies, a substantial and growing minority has criticized Warsaw’s support for Kiev, and expressed concerns over the cult of personality built around Stepan Bandera – the Nazi collaborator whose militias murdered hundreds of thousands Polish civilians, Jews, anti-fascist Ukrainians and Red Army troops in western Ukraine during the Second World War.

Some Poles have also expressed concerns about the prospect of the Ukrainian crisis escalating into a full-blown war with Russia, as well as the economic repercussions of the current conflict, with Polish GDP growth slipping to negative 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022 amid soaring inflation (16.6 percent in December), rising energy prices and a dramatic drop in trade with Russia.

Biden's Warsaw Trip: Poles Tired of US Bellicosity, Don't See Russia as Threat, Polish Observer Says! Mateusz Piskorski, political observer and columnist for the Myśl Polska (Polish Thought) newspaper. "He will probably talk about the results of today's visit to Kiev and the meeting in Minsk, and will also try to get support from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. And this concerns not only Poland, but many other countries, leaders of other countries that will participate in the Central European summit. Because, let me remind you that the American leader is planning to meet with the leaders of the so-called [Bucharest Nine] member countries of NATO and Central Europe. Most likely, pressure will be put on other countries, for example, Hungary and Romania, which are more reserved about the idea of unconditional support for Ukraine and Kiev," Piskorski continued. (February 02, 2023)

While Poland has welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees in 2022, and about 1.3 million have remained in the country, support on that front is also falling, with a poll last month finding that about a third of the population is no longer eager to accept refugees –down from 88 percent in February of 2022. More than 60 percent of Poles feel that refugees enjoy more assistance and benefits from the state than Polish citizens.

Recent polling also found that while 48 percent believe Poland should provide further military assistance to Ukraine, one third of the population is opposed to any further aid. Poles are also divided about the kind of aid refugees Ukrainians should get, with 62 percent saying they deserve free health care, 87 percent admission to Polish schools, but only 36 percent housing assistance.

The crisis in Ukraine affected Poland directly and almost sparked World War III in November 2022, when an errant Ukrainian air defense missile landed in a village in eastern Poland, killing two farmers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately accused Russia and urged NATO to take action to put Russia "in its place." Later, after Polish, US and NATO officials concluded that the missile was Ukrainian, Zelensky refused to do admit Kiev's responsibility, with NATO diplomats accusing him of "openly lying" about the incident.

— Ilya Tsukanov, Sunday March 26, 2023, Sputnik International

[beardedmrbean]

Poland has completed construction on a new 186-kilometre border wall in an attempt to deter migrants entering from Belarus.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and top security officials visited the border area on Thursday to mark the completion of a new 5.5-metre-high steel wall.

Poland is also set to lift a state of emergency on Friday that has blocked journalists and rights workers from entering the border region.

Morawiecki said the new border wall formed part of the country's fight against Russia.

“The first sign of the war in Ukraine was [Belarus President] Alexander Lukashenko’s attack on the Polish border,” he told a news conference.

about:blank

Warsaw authorities believe the Lukashenko regime used migrants as a tool to spark tensions since 2021, which saw tens of thousands mostly from Iraqi Kurdistan attempt to enter Poland, Lithuania and Latvia from Belarus.

At least 20 people are known to have died between Belarus and Poland in freezing conditions in the last year.

'Double standards' vs 'hybrid warfare'

Human rights groups have accused Poland of a double standard by welcoming millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, while also blocking mostly Asian refugees from entering via Belarus.

“If you give a lift to a refugee at the Ukrainian border you are a hero. If you do it at the Belarus border you are a smuggler and could end up in jail for eight years,” said Natalia Gebert, founder and CEO of Dom Otwarty, a Polish NGO that helps refugees.

A Human Rights Watch report this month said Poland “unlawfully, and sometimes violently, summarily pushes migrants and asylum-seekers back to Belarus, where they face serious abuses, including beatings and rape by border guards and other security forces.”

Amnesty International has also detailed serious human rights abuses.

Belarus became a new migration route to Europe after Lukashenko encouraged asylum-seekers to Minsk to facilitate their entry to the European Union.

Brussels has accused Belarus of waging "hybrid warfare" and trying to destabilise the bloc in retaliation for sanctions against Lukashenko's regime.

Poland’s government says Russia is complicit, given Lukashenko’s alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Lukashenko is the executor of the latest assault, but this assault has a sponsor who is to be found in Moscow, and this sponsor is President Putin," Morawiecki said during an emergency debate in the Polish parliament in November.

[sleepysera]

Nov 16 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Armenia: Troops killed in Azerbaijan border clash (BBC)

“A number of Armenian soldiers have been killed and captured in a flare-up of violence on the border with Azerbaijan, Armenian officials say. Armenia said some of its troops had been killed and two combat positions had been lost, while Azerbaijan said two of its soldiers were injured. Later on Tuesday, both sides reportedly agreed to a Russian-brokered ceasefire. More than 6,000 lives were lost in last year's war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Uganda: Suicide bombers target Ugandan capital Kampala (BBC)

“Suicide bombers have targeted the Ugandan capital Kampala, killing at least three people and injuring more than 30 others, police say. Three attackers on motorbikes blew themselves up near parliament and the city's police headquarters.”

Poland: Uses water cannons against migrants at Belarus border (AP)

“Polish forces at the border with Belarus used water cannons and tear gas Tuesday against stone-throwing migrants, as Warsaw accused Belarusian authorities of giving smoke grenades and other weapons to those trying to cross the frontier. The events marked an escalation in the tense crisis on the European Union’s eastern border, where the West has accused President Alexander Lukashenko of using the migrants as pawns to destabilize the 27-nation bloc in retaliation for its sanctions on his authoritarian regime. Belarus denies orchestrating the crisis.”

US NEWS

Wildfires: Wind-stoked wildfire causes death in Wyoming, evacuations (AP)

“Wildfires pushed by strong winds forced the evacuation of homes in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado and led to a death in Wyoming, officials said Tuesday. Downed power lines caused a fire near the northern Wyoming community of Clark on Monday night that burned at least two homes and seven outbuildings, said Jerry Parker, the Park County Fire District administrator. Wind gusts topped 100 mph (161 kph) in the area Monday night.”

China: Xi-Biden talks raise hope for better ties but strains remain (AP)

“China on Tuesday welcomed a virtual meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden as raising hopes for better relations, while the U.S. was more muted on the talks as the world’s two biggest powers sought to ratchet down more than a year of tensions. The two nations were aiming to end a sharp deterioration in relations that accelerated under former U.S. President Donald Trump and had festered since Biden became president in January. The video conference, which lasted more than three hours, took place Tuesday morning in Beijing and Monday evening in Washington.”

Taiwan: Biden underscores he wants no change in Taiwan policy (AP)

“Tensions have heightened as China has dispatched a growing number of fighter jets toward the island, while the U.S. and its allies sail warships though the Taiwan Strait. But Biden on Tuesday sought to underscore his support for the Taiwan Relations Act, which went into effect in 1979 and shapes the parameters of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.”

[tintind]

TW: violence, politics, Belarus

We have been under occupation for three months now. It is difficult to call it anything else, although some people may find the comparison too exaggerated.

What is going on?

This art shows two poets and political activists of the last century. Aloisa Pashkevich (aka Tsetka) from Belarus and Lesya Ukrainka from Ukraine. It is not known whether they met in life, but they are contemporaries and both fought for the freedom of their peoples.

Fourteen years ago, protests raged in the capital, my mother participated in them. I was only five years old at the time, and I don't remember anything except the day when a policeman came to our house to find out where my mother was. I didn't know what was going on. Our opposition wanted to call the events of 2006 “the denim revolution”, but then Lukashenka remained in power. In twenty-six years, our President has changed the Constitution three times, and thanks to the falsification of the results of referendums, he has almost absolute power, like a monarch de l'Ancien Régime. In fact, according to psychiatrists, Lukashenka has a mosaic psychopathy. He is a pathological liar and an adherent of the ideas of communism. But not that communism, which is for a bright future, but one that eliminates and intimidates all dissenters.

Everyone in the government lies. The Ministry of health is lying about the covid-19 situation (they even lied about the flu for years). The Central election Committee is lying about the election results. The Ministry of internal Affairs is lying about the number of protesters. There are no independent institutes of sociology in our country.

The Constitution proclaims freedom of Assembly. At the same time, there is an article in administrative law "on violation of the procedure for holding mass events". It does not provide for punishment for mass riots, according to it you will be convicted for standing silently with a placard or flag. You will be arrested for 15 days for wearing "political color" clothing or for having a photo of you eating white-red-white marshmallows. This is not a joke. These are real stories. You will be arrested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A friend of mine is under arrest right now. I was very afraid that I would harm him by writing a letter. All correspondence is read. Yes, it's illegal, but they don't even hide it.

Over the past three months, about 30,000 people have been convicted under article 23.34. This is like one small Belarusian city, for example, Dzerzhinsk. In the first days of the protest in August, forty people were held in cells for six.

From the ninth to the twelfth of August were the worst nights of my life.

We have passed the point of no return. Special forces shot an unarmed man.

During these three months, seven people were killed by the security forces. The last of them — a young man of 31 years old, saw unknown people in civilian clothes removing ribbons of national colors from the fence, and he came out to ask why they do it. He was beaten and taken in an unmarked car to the police station, where he was admitted to the hospital. He died without regaining consciousness. His last words in the chat were "I’m going out." He was sober, he didn't get into a fight first. He went out into the courtyard of his house.

Authorities call the criminals "concerned citizens" and claim that Roman--that was guy's name--was drunk and provoked them.

According to the authorities, a little more than a hundred police officers were injured by the actions of the protesters. What injuries do they have? They say someone's spine was broken. But doctors only know about a couple of wrist sprains from working too hard with a baton. While the protesters took off their shoes to stand on the bench and collected garbage behind them, the police smashed the glass doors of the cafe.

State TV channels talk about some protest coordinators who pay people 30 euros for each march, but the police arrest not these coordinators, but journalists who are just doing their job, telling about what is happening. It is illegal to be an independent journalist in Belarus. Even if you wear a vest that says "Press", you will be arrested. This happened to a friend of mine last weekend. She doesn't have a camera anymore.

Equipment is rarely returned, but there are a lot of broken smartphones in the stores of confiscated goods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After three terrible August nights, people are also being beaten again.

Verbal humiliation. Menaces. Beatings. Rapes.

Tortures.

Women are beaten on their stomachs to they "do not give birth to zmagar(protesters) scum". In August, a girl lost a child to torture in a pre-trial detention center. Recently, a pregnant woman was sentenced to 20 days in prison. 

Beatings. Rapes.

Policemen break men’s arms, legs, break their heads, rape them.

People are forced to stand on the street for hours without moving. They are denied medical care, saying that they are malingerers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If they hear that you speak Belarusian (in Belarus!), they will mark you with a cross, which means that you can be beaten more than others. In August, marks were placed also on people without documents and those with "non-white" appearance. Our authorities decided to commit genocide. They don't fully understand it themselves, but violence against people who speak a certain language is a genocide.

Almost 500 cases of documented tortures were brought by the internal authorities in zero criminal cases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mass repressions can be less violent there. Students are expelled from Belarusian universities for participating in protest actions. One of my close friends left for Lithuania because he was expelled despite his good academic performance. Private businesses are being shut down under the yoke of sanctions. They force representatives of the IT-sector to leave. Doctors are being fired.

Yes, that's right. In the midst of the pandemic, they fire doctors.

The country's borders are closed to entry. For some time, even Belarusian citizens were not allowed to go home (and authorities still threaten them to not let them in). The gouvernment demanded to reduce the number of employees of Polish and Lithuanian embassies in order to make it more difficult for Belarusians to obtain a Schengen visa.

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a concentration camp. Especially when the city is blocked on weekends, the metro is closed and the Internet is turned off. You can’t walk where you want. You are in danger to be beaten for no reason. You can’t be safe in your own home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But we continue to protest. We continue to demand our voice be heard. We're going out.

And we will definitely win.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

12 killed, dozens wounded in weekend shootings across U.S. (NBC News) At least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded over the weekend in gun violence and mass shootings in five states. The shootings in Minnesota, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia and South Carolina come amid a yearlong rise in nationwide gun violence and record firearm sales. It isn’t clear why the number of shootings over the last year has risen so dramatically. Experts have said the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on mental and physical health, social services and more are likely to have played a significant role.

Southern Baptist decline continues, denomination has lost more than 2 million members since 2006 (Religion News Service) The nation’s largest Protestant denomination continues to get smaller. There were 14 million Southern Baptists in 2020, according to a new report released Thursday (May 20) by Lifeway Christian Resources, which compiles official denominational statistics. That number is down 435,632 members since 2019 and 2.3 million from 2006, when the Southern Baptist Convention reached 16.3 million members. The biggest decline in the report was seen in baptisms, a key measure for the evangelical denomination. In 2020, baptisms were down by about half, to 123,160, the lowest number since 1919. Southern Baptists, long known for denominational infighting, have seen several high-profile departures of leaders in the past year, including Bible teacher Beth Moore, ethicist Russell Moore, and a number of Black pastors.

NYC mayor: Public schools will be all in person this fall (AP) New York City schools will be all in person this fall with no remote options, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. The roughly 1 million students who attend traditional public schools will be in their classrooms with some version of the coronavirus protocols that have been in place in the current academic year, including mask wearing and COVID-19 testing, de Blasio said. “It’s time. It’s really time to go full strength now,” he said. The mayor said parents would be invited to visit their children’s schools starting in June to get “reacclimated” to the idea of in-person school.

Mexican parents clean reopening schools where thieves took even toilet doors (Reuters) Wiping away dust from bookshelves and mopping grimy floors, teachers and parents across Mexico are sprucing up vandalised schools ahead of the nationwide reopening on June 7. Mexico has kept state schools shut since March 2020, when students and teachers abandoned them after the coronavirus pandemic triggered the first nationwide lockdown. Since then, between 40% to 50% of all Mexican schools have reported vandalism or theft, according to trade union officials. Alfonso Cepeda Salas, secretary general of the National Educational Workers Syndicate trade union, or SNTE, told newspaper Excelsior last week that power lines, computers, screens, and even doors to toilets have been stolen. "We come to support the school so that everything is clean for the return of children to classes," said Rosa Miron, one of several mothers cleaning a school in Mexico City.

Why you may see a NYPD motorcade in Sao Paulo's streets (AP) Stunned by the swirl of red lights and blaring sirens, confused pedestrians who spot a New York City Police Department motorcade screaming down the streets of Brazil's biggest city may need a second to get their bearings. Behind the spectacle is a group of Brazilian fans obsessed with one of the world's most recognizable police forces, whose hobby is refurbishing NYPD cars and motorcycles, inspired by nostalgia for cop movies and shows such as "Law & Order." "To tell you the truth, it creates some confusion sometimes," said Fabio Denzin, who owns not just a Ford Crown Victoria painted as a NYPD car, but also a van and motorcycle. "People even think that it is the real police from New York on patrol, as if they came to Brazil to help the local police."

EU calls for probe after plane diverted to arrest journalist (AP) Western leaders decried the diversion of a plane to Belarus in order to arrest an opposition journalist as an act of piracy and terrorism. The European Union and others on Monday demanded an investigation into the dramatic forced landing of the Ryanair jet, which was traveling between of the bloc’s two member nations. The airline said Belarusian flight controllers told the crew there was a bomb threat against the plane as it was crossing through the country’s airspace and ordered it to land in the capital of Minsk. A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the plane. Raman Pratasevich, who ran a popular messaging app that played a key role in helping organize massive protests against Belarus’ authoritarian president, was on board and he and his Russian girlfriend were led off the plane shortly after landing. The plane, which began its journey in Athens, Greece, was eventually allowed to continue on to Vilnius, Lithuania. Western leaders forcefully condemned the move. A group of the chairs of the foreign affairs committees of several Western countries’ legislative bodies called it an act of piracy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the plane’s diversion was “shocking,” while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called it a “state-sponsored terror act.” (Washington Post) European leaders on Monday agreed to impose sectoral sanctions on Belarus and to bar E.U. airlines from flying over the country’s airspace, dealing a potentially crushing blow to the economy. E.U. leaders asked the bloc’s foreign policy team to draw up a list of targeted economic sanctions to impose “without delay," and said that the country’s national airline would be barred from the European Union.

Turkey’s drones (Foreign Policy) Poland become the first NATO member to purchase Turkish drones, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Saturday. The contract for 24 armed Bayraktar TB2 drones is due to be signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda when he travels to Turkey next week. The sale underlines Turkey’s status as the world’s fourth largest drone producer and comes after its unmanned aircraft were seen as crucial in securing victory for Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia last year.

India virus death toll passes 300,000 (AP) India crossed another grim milestone Monday of more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside. India’s death toll is the third-highest reported in the world, accounting for 8.6% of the nearly 34.7 million coronavirus fatalities globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater. From the remote Himalayan villages in the north, through the vast humid central plains and to the sandy beaches in the south, the pandemic has swamped India’s underfunded health care system after spreading fast across the country.

Samoa’s first female leader locked out of her own swearing-in ceremony (Washington Post) The first woman elected prime minister of Samoa showed up for her swearing-in ceremony on Monday to find her opponents had locked the doors to prevent her from taking office. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and her followers pitched a tent on the statehouse lawn, where she took the oath of office instead. The bizarre scenes capped six weeks of election turmoil that escalated into a constitutional crisis over the weekend as Mata’afa’s fierce rival refused to cede power. “This is an illegal takeover of government,” Mata’afa said Sunday of the efforts to keep her from office. “Because it’s a bloodless coup, people aren’t so concerned or disturbed by it.” “Samoa is a young democracy,” said Iati Iati from Victoria University of Wellington. “What you have then is a number of institutions whose power has not been accurately defined, so you have the head of state pushing the limits of his power, you’ve got the speaker coming in with his, you’ve got the courts asserting their power and you’ve got the prime minister saying he won’t listen to the courts.”

Regret (CJR) Ronen Bergman reports, for the New York Times, that some Israeli officials privately now regret the decision to bomb the building housing the AP’s offices last weekend. “In light of the international furor over the airstrike, some high-ranking officials in government and the military now call it a mistake, arguing that Israel needs the media to be open to hearing its version of events, and the bombing made that harder,” Bergman writes. “One official said that while the airstrike was justified militarily, the doubters had been right, and the harm done to Israel’s international standing outweighed any benefit from destroying the Hamas equipment” officials say was inside the building [and which everyone except the Israeli military denies was present].

Before Rage Flared, a Push to Make Israel’s Mixed Towns More Jewish (NYT) Years before the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Lod erupted in mob violence, a demographic shift had begun to take root: Hundreds of young Jews who support a religious, nationalist movement started to move into a mostly Arab neighborhood with the express aim of strengthening the Israeli city’s Jewish identity. A similar change was playing out in other mixed Arab-Jewish cities inside Israel, part of a loosely organized nationwide project known as Torah Nucleus. For decades, hard-line Israeli nationalists have sought to shift the demographics of the occupied West Bank by building Jewish settlements, undermining the prospect of a two-state solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With West Bank settlement firmly entrenched—about 450,000 Jews now live among more than 2.6 million Palestinians—Torah Nucleus supporters see Israeli cities as a new horizon. Most of the world considers Jewish settlements in the occupied territories a violation of international law, but this was an attempt to create change within Israel’s recognized boundaries. And many cast it as the new Zionism.

For Gaza shop owners, building back could take years (Washington Post) Naji Dwaima’s family is known as “the watch family” in Gaza. On Sunday morning, he sat on a folding chair and stared at the spot where his watch store used to be. It was buried under 12 stories of rubble, destroyed by Israeli missiles. Gaza was already one of the poorest corners of the region. Before the coronavirus and airstrikes hit, an estimated 80 percent of the population relied on international aid, according to Oxfam International. Youth unemployment, estimated at 50 percent, was perhaps the highest in the world, the group said. More than 525 businesses were damaged or destroyed in the fighting, the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated, including at least 50 factories and hundreds of small businesses, the backbone of Gaza’s commercial life. Rebuilding those will take international aid and the willingness of owners to start over. Dwaima, 46, said he came to sit by his ruined shop in part because he didn’t know, after 26 years of 13-hour days, six days a week, how else to spend his time. “This is as much my home as my home,” he said. “All of my impressions, all of my dreams are attached to this place.”

Volcanic eruption, ensuing chaos kill at least 15 in Congo (AP) Torrents of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead amid the chaos and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said Sunday. The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday night sent about 5,000 people fleeing from the city of Goma across the nearby border into Rwanda, while another 25,000 others sought refuge to the northwest in Sake, the U.N. children’s agency said Sunday. Goma ultimately was largely spared the mass destruction caused by the volcano’s last eruption in 2002. Hundreds died then and more than 100,000 people were left homeless. But in outlying villages closer to the volcano, Sunday was marked by grief and uncertainty.

Pope to Vatican’s own media workers: Who reads your news? (AP) Pope Francis challenged the Vatican’s own media employees Monday to essentially justify their continued work, asking them how many people actually consume their news in a critique of the office that costs the Holy See more than all its embassies around the world combined. Francis appeared to use the occasion to lay down the gauntlet at a fraught financial time for the Holy See. Facing a major pension funding shortage and a projected 50 million euro ($61 million) deficit this year, Francis has ordered salary cuts from 3% to 10% for Vatican employees, both lay and religious. In his visit with media employees, he said their work was good, their offices nice and organized, but that there was a “danger” that their work doesn’t arrive where it is supposed to. He warned them against falling prey to a “lethal” functionality where they go through the motions but don’t actually achieve anything.

[falllingthroughspace]

Hi! Thank you for post about privilege of living in democratic country, it was SO eye-opening. We had presidential run-off in Poland today&even tho chance’s high for corrupted, intolerant af candidate, election has international media coverage, votes are counted etc. It’s infuriating that elections in Belarus will be a fraud&situation’s so bad, especially since our countries are neighbours, but have VERY different systems. Sorry if that’s random ask, just wanted to send you some love&support.🖤

Hello! First of all, I heard about your elections, and I am sorry, it seems that the jackass won? The situation in Poland is not perfect and I hope in the upcoming years you will succeed in changing it somehow for the better, despite the…person in charge. Trust me, we know all about jackasses in charge.

The funny thing is, I hear a lot from Polish people that their country is bad, yet Belarusians strive to immigrate here. I think it says a lot about the general stats of things. But that is not to say you don’t have the right to complain, it’s just perspective. That things could be worse?

We are…suffering in Belarus. I didn’t mean to put anyone down by that post, I was just angry about this whole situation, where basically people put signatures to let one person become a candidate, and the Election committee threw half of them away, so that person didn’t have the numbers and when people asked for justification basically told them to go fuck themselves for asking. AND then made up charges to put behind bars the candidate AND the people who worked for him AND the admins who run opposition blogs AND closed down the shop that sold quasi-opposition merch. Great fun, right?? And when people went to the streets in peaceful protests (basically they we fucking standing in a queue on the street), the police started arresting them AND journalists who covered it. When people in the public eye spoke out against it, they fired them.

Right now we don’t know who will be allowed to run for president next month. Probably no one but Lukashenka and 2 his proxies to create an illusion of democracy. At the polling stations only 0.001% of observers will be from opposition, the others will turn the blind eye or actively mess with the votes.

And honestly, I am afraid. Because people are tired of living for 26 years under the same man, who treats the nation like cattle, and makes up obscenities to defend himself. Tired of living in the country where speaking out against Lukashenka is a crime. And when, eventually, people will go in the streets because Lukasheko will have won 76% of the votes, it will not go well for anyone. The police will beat and detain people, they will lose their jobs and have fines imposed. Europe will look down on us, again, and impose more sanctions that in the end will hurt normal people, not the politicians. And we will be left alone, again.

And I am not even covering such topics as corruption, LGBT rights, women’s right, etc. These things are so out of touch for us, we can’t even begin to imagine addressing those. Like..human right would be awesome for a start.

But thank you for acknowledging us, it means a lot. Sometimes people just equate us to the Lukashenko and his politics, but actually only 3% are like that. The rest just have to live here.

And I know that this is not the place, and I’m just a fandom blog full of stupid things, but if one person pays attention to this, to us, it makes it worth it. And seeing protest on our behalf in different cities all over Europe warms my heart. Thank you.

[what-is-lunar]

Jana Chostak  < A Minute of Shouting for Belarus > 2020-21, performance, vidéo, 10 min.

Every day, Belarusian activist Jana Shostak shouted at the top of her lungs for one minute in front of the European Commission building in Warsaw to denounce torture committed by the Lukashenko regime and to demand stronger EU sanctions against international companies investing in Belarus. Shostak began screaming following the disputed re-election of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, who has ruled the former Soviet republic since 1994. 

In an article written for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Artyom Shraibman (17.05.2022) notes, 

The country of 9.5 million has more than 1,000 political prisoners, including dozens of journalists and opposition leaders. There are credible reports that Belarusian security services have routinely engaged in torture and the beating of detainees. Several opposition activists have died at the hands of law enforcement since 2020. Until these practices are in some way curtailed and the remaining people in custody are freed, Lukashenko will remain toxic. No leading Western capitals are likely to engage with him in the meantime.

https://newsbeezer.com/polandeng/the-polish-belarusian-activist-jana-shostak-speaks-about-her-protest/

[daily-media]

Ukraine rejects Moscow-proposed humanitarian corridors to Belarus, Russia

An Ukrainian serviceman looks through binoculars towards the town of Stoyanka at a checkpoint before the last bridge on the road that connects Stoyanka with Kyiv,

Moscow announced Monday that it would open humanitarian corridors in Ukraine exiting to Belarus or Russian though these were rejected by Kyiv. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked the international community to provide Ukraine with military aircraft and to boycott Russian oil, oil products and other exports. Follow our live blog for the latest developments.

Kyiv on Monday rejected humanitarian corridors proposed by Moscow that allowed people to exit to Russia or Belarus.

A civilian disaster is growing in Ukraine as attempts to evacuate residents of besieged port city Mariupol failed for a second consecutive day.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that Russian forces are preparing to bombard Odessa, the historic port city on the Black Sea coast.

More than a million refugees have crossed the border from Ukraine into Poland since Russian troops invaded on February 24, Polish border guards said on Sunday. The UN said earlier on Sunday that more than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries since the Russian invasion.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said.

The United States is considering sending planes to Poland if Warsaw decided to send fighter jets to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Zelensky said on Sunday he spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden to discuss financial support and sanctions against Russia.

Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow are set to hold a third round of negotiations on Monday.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian crisis triggered in Ukraine by the Russian invasion and discuss a possible draft resolution.

Washington has seen “very credible reports” that Russia has committed war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, particularly in attacking civilians, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday.