MINSK (BELARUS) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned on Friday that reciprocal measures would be taken if any sanctions are imposed against the country following the August 9 presidential poll, which opponents say was rigged.
He threatened to cut off transit routes through his country while speaking during a visit to a dairy factory, adding that Lithuanian ports will be boycotted if sanctions were imposed.
“I’ve instructed the government to submit a proposal on reorienting all trade flows from Lithuanian ports to other ones,” he said. “Let’s see how they live with that.”
Over what he perceived to be threats from the West, Lukashenko ordered half of the troops to be combat ready.
On Thursday, foreign ministers of the EU bloc countries pressed for sanctions against Belarus to put pressure on Lukashenko to hold fresh elections. The leader has denied rigging the election and rejected the opposition’s demand for fresh polls.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said during a media briefing that she tried to contact her Belarusian counterpart by phone, but he declined to answer the call.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.
