01:24Lithuania: Top US diplomat meets Tikhanovskaya in Vilnius, says Washington 'won’t decide course of events in Belarus'
Washington condemns the violent crackdown on protests in Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said on Monday at a press conference in Vilnius after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“We call on the current government of Belarus to release all political prisoners that they are currently holding,” Biegun said, adding that the US “cannot and will nor decide the course of events in Belarus.”
“Our view is, that the best that we can do is to support the Belarusian people, but ultimately it’s up to them to determine their future and we’ll respect that.”
Belarus has been swept by anti-government protests following the disputed presidential election on August 9 that saw five-term incumbent Alexander Lukashenko re-elected.
01:24Washington condemns the violent crackdown on protests in Belarus, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said on Monday at a press conference in Vilnius after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“We call on the current government of Belarus to release all political prisoners that they are currently holding,” Biegun said, adding that the US “cannot and will nor decide the course of events in Belarus.”
“Our view is, that the best that we can do is to support the Belarusian people, but ultimately it’s up to them to determine their future and we’ll respect that.”
Belarus has been swept by anti-government protests following the disputed presidential election on August 9 that saw five-term incumbent Alexander Lukashenko re-elected.