(UnitedVoice.com) – When Russia attacked Ukraine, Belarus stood firmly in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In recent weeks, Poland has announced plans to deploy 10,000 soldiers to its border with Belarus. Now, the US is urging Americans to leave.
On Monday, August 21, the US Embassy in Minsk, Belarus, issued an alert warning Americans to avoid traveling to the eastern European nation. All US citizens currently in the country are being told to depart right away. The embassy suggests Americans should attempt to cross into Lithuania or Latvia if they can. They can also board a flight and evacuate that way.
According to the notice, Americans are not allowed to enter Poland from Belarus. The travel notice was issued due to the Belarusian government’s “continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine” and Russia’s military buildup in Belarus. There are reports that mercenaries with the Wagner Group who are in the country have positioned themselves on Poland’s border.
On Tuesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda claimed Russia was moving short-range nuclear weapons to Belarus. In July, Putin and Belarus’ illegitimate president, Alexander Lukashenko, said the Kremlin had shipped tactical nuclear weapons to the country. The weapons have a shorter range than nuclear warheads and don’t have a very strong impact either. Nonetheless, they are still deadly, and using them would be a frightening escalation of war.
Poland’s president said the movement of the weapons is “changing the architecture of security” in that part of NATO.
Meanwhile, Lukashenko has said he’s allowing Russia to place the weapons in his country because he wants to deter Poland from attacking Belarus. However, the Polish government has not issued any threats.
Americans in Belarus are told to have a contingency plan in place that doesn’t rely on the US government for help. They should also monitor the local and international news for updates or breaking events.
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