Status: 02.07.2021 8:52 p.m.
The Belarusian ruler Lukashenko claims to have identified plans for a coup in which Ukraine and several Western states, including Germany, are said to be involved. He now closed the border with Ukraine.
Belarus closes its border with Ukraine and gives security reasons for doing so. “A large number of weapons are coming to Belarus from Ukraine,” said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to the official BelTa news agency. “That’s why I instructed the border security forces to close the border with Ukraine completely.”
Alleged connection to Germany
The Belarusian authorities allegedly unmasked and smashed “terrorist sleeper cells” linked to Germany, Ukraine, the USA, Poland and Lithuania.
The aim of these cells is to “overthrow” the government by force. According to Lukashenko, the “sleeper cells” tried to attack a Russian naval communications center near the Belarusian city of Wileyka.
He discussed the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Everyone involved in this terrorist act – including those who organized and carried out it – were found and arrested within two days.”
He announced that his authorities would confront Chancellor Angela Merkel with the allegations.
No comment from the Foreign Office
A spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office said she did not want to comment on the allegations that Lukashenko “has put into the room”. She could “not report anything at this point” about the possible arrest of German citizens.
Belarus borders with Russia, Ukraine and the EU countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. While relations with Russia were intensified under Lukashenko, those with the EU and with Ukraine, which is increasingly oriented towards the West, have deteriorated significantly.
Lukashenko has repeatedly accused the West of wanting to “destabilize” his country in order to bring about a change of government.
In the country he is cracking down on the opposition. The EU has already imposed sanctions on Belarus several times.
Ambassador withdrew from Brussels
In response, Minsk suspended participation in the EU’s Eastern Partnership program on Monday and banned those responsible for EU sanctions from entering Belarus. The government also ordered the Belarusian ambassador in Brussels back to Minsk.