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What did 22 July 2021 follow in regional politics?
Summary
A look back at two political developments in the days before 22 July 2021, involving the EU aspirations of three states and Belarusian opposition lobbying in Washington.
What was the political backdrop in Ukraine's neighbourhood on 22 July 2021? Two developments from the preceding days set the tone.
On 19 July 2021, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili issued a joint statement. They announced their intention to have their countries pursue closer relations with the European Union, a move that effectively rebuked Russia.
On 20 July 2021, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Washington, D.C. During the visit she asked the Biden administration to impose sanctions on companies in Belarus, in order to put pressure on the government of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Taken together, the two events showed leaders in the region pressing outward: three presidents stating a shared European direction, and an opposition leader seeking sanctions leverage from the United States.
