The United States Department of State issued a statement today urging all Americans currently in Belarus to leave the country immediately and warned US citizens against travel there.
US State Department officials cited new closures of border crossings by Lithuania and the possibility of more to come at any moment, as the reason for urging Americans to depart Belarus while they still can.
“The Lithuanian government on August 18 closed two border crossings with Belarus at Tverecius/Vidzy and Sumskas/Losha,” US State Department said.
“The Polish, Lithuanian, and Latvian governments have stated that further closures of border crossings with Belarus are possible.”
“US citizens in Belarus should depart immediately,” the warning added.
Americans were urged to travel by land using the “remaining border crossings with Lithuania and Latvia,” because Poland has closed the border, or by plane, though not to Russia or Ukraine.
US Embassy in Minsk, Belarus provided the following instrustions for US citizens currently in the country:
“Do not travel to Belarus due to Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus.
“US citizens in Belarus should depart immediately. Consider departing via the remaining border crossings with Lithuania and Latvia, or by plane. US citizens are not permitted to enter Poland overland from Belarus. Do not travel to Russia or to Ukraine.
“The Ukraine-Belarus border has likewise been closed. Meanwhile, most Western airlines have halted flights to Minsk and closed their airspace to Belarusian and Russian flights, so it was unclear how Americans might fly out without passing through Russia.”
Meanwhile, Poland has increased the number of its troops along the border with Belarus over the past month, due to a growing threat of provocations or even possible attack attempts by the armed bandits from Russian mercenary Wagner Group, who left Russia at the end of July and relocated to Belarus.
