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Belarus turmoil and regional reactions, 20 August 2020
Summary
A look back at how Ukraine and its neighbours responded in the days before 20 August 2020 as Belarus's disputed election deepened a regional crisis.
What was the region reacting to on 20 August 2020? The answer lay in Belarus, where the aftermath of the presidential election had drawn in neighbouring capitals, and where the days leading up to that date set the tone.
Ukraine recalls its ambassador
On 17 August, Ukraine recalled its Ambassador to Belarus. The stated aim was to assess "the new reality" and the prospects for further bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Lithuania takes a harder line
On 18 August, Lithuanian MPs approved economic sanctions against Belarus over the contested presidential elections. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said Lithuania was sending a strong message to the world, and he refused to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as President.
Lithuania was also where opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in exile. On 15 August she called for more protests.
Minsk looks to Moscow and blames NATO
On 15 August, Lukashenko issued an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said he considered the protests to be not a threat to just Belarus anymore. Statements by both sides contained a pointed reference to the Union State between the two countries.
On 16 August, Lukashenko gave a defiant speech to supporters in Independence Square in Minsk. He claimed Belarus would die as a state if new elections were held, and he accused NATO of massing on the border. Opposition critics said most of those at the rally had been coerced into attending and bussed in from other parts of the country.
Security moves elsewhere in the region
On 15 August, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed an agreement in Warsaw. It provided for redeploying about 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Poland, bringing the total there to 5,500. It also allowed for a potential increase to 20,000 U.S. troops if Poland were under threat.
A separate diplomatic fight at the UN
Away from the region, on 14 August the United Nations Security Council rejected a United States bid to extend a global arms embargo on Iran indefinitely. Only the Dominican Republic backed the U.S. resolution, far short of the nine votes required. Eleven of the 15 members, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, abstained. Russia and China opposed extending the ban but did not need to use their vetoes.
The picture on 20 August 2020
By 20 August 2020, then, neighbouring governments had taken distinct positions. Kyiv pulled its ambassador to reassess ties, Vilnius moved to sanctions, and Minsk appealed to Moscow while pointing to NATO.
