Minsk’s Empty Threats against Washington

Belarus threatens to impose sanctions against the US in response to financial measures slapped by Washington against the Belarusian state oil monopoly, Voice of America informs.

This report has been received from Minsk just a few hours after US Finance Ministry banned American firms to deal with Belarusian concern Belneftekhim. Sanctions of the U.S. Treasury concern all Belneftekhim offices in Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and China, and the American branch of the concern Belneftekhim USA. The US demand to stop repressions in Belarus and release political prisoners.

The ground for sanctions was Bush’s initiative of 2006 aimed at further isolation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. George Bush has many times called Alyaksandr Lukashenka “the last dictator of Europe”.

The US does not have investments in Belarus, that is why it is not clear which would be consequences of Minsk’s threats.

The US and the EU charge Lukashenka with imprisoning his opponents and independent journalists. West also believes that Lukashenka has falsified results of the vote in 2006 when he was reelected for the third term.