All posts tagged "Belarus"

CNN's Dana Bash was in disbelief Wednesday when Trump administration officials said Belarus released an American hostage and two others without asking for anything in return.

Bash interviewed Chris Smith, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Eastern Europe, and Kara McDonald, ambassador to Lithuania, from the U.S. embassy compound in Vilnius, Lithuania.

"These are usually not one-sided deals," Bash began. "What did Belarus get in exchange for this? These three people, these three...individuals gaining their freedom?" ...

(Reuters) -Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, marking the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside the country. Putin made the announcement at a time of growing tensions with the West over the Ukraine war and as some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear strikes. Putin told state television that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in his country, which borders NATO member Poland. "There is nothin......

A group of Ukrainian runners are making moves to ban Russians and Belarusians from taking part in the New York City Marathon. “It started all from the Boston Marathon. In April we did a similar petition,” said Anna Shpook, 39, a member of Ukrainian Running Club NY. “I think it just would be unfair to give someone access while Ukrainians no longer have that.” A Boston man helped the group’s pitch gain momentum. “He wrote the petition, we supported it. I think within a week or ten days it reached 1,600 and they reacted and they did prevent Russian and Belarusian runners from participating,” said......

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko used a speech on Saturday to threaten military retaliation against anybody who attacked his country, as tensions over the war in neighbouring Ukraine remained high. Speaking on the eve of the country's Independence Day, Lukashenko said that he had ordered his armed forces to target "the decision-making centres" of Western capitals in the event of an attack on Belarus, adding: "Don't touch us - and we won't touch you," according to state news agency Belta. Despite the fact that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, Moscow and its staunch ally Minsk have re......

NEW YORK — Wimbledon is going to ban players from Russia and Belarus this summer over the invasion of Ukraine. Several top players and big names will be affected: Russia’s Daniil Medvedev won the U.S. Open last year, and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka made the Wimbledon semifinals. All told, there are about a dozen Russian and Belarusian players in the top 40 of the men’s and women’s tours, respectively. Wimbledon announced the ban on Wednesday. The news was first reported by the New York Times. “It is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts ... to limit Russia’s global influen......

Russia is to support Belarus with 500 million dollars in credit over the coming weeks, the leaders of the two countries have agreed. During a meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed the sum would be paid out by the end of June, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, according to news agency Interfax. This is the second tranche of a credit package that was agreed before the controversial forced landing of a passenger aeroplane in Minsk last Sunday in order to arrest a dissident blogger, Roman Protasevich, and his girlfriend So......