US asks to expand embassy staff to hundreds, Łukašenka claims

December 29, Pozirk. The United States has been asking the Belarusian government for a permission to expand the staff of its embassy for “a whole year now,” Alaksandar Łukašenka told the Rossiya 1 television channel.
A video clip of his remarks was posted on Telegram by Pavel Zarubin, a reporter for the channel. The interview had taken place on December 26 during the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Russia’s Leningrad province.
According to Łukašenka, the US would like to station hundreds of people in Belarus.
Asked about a US recommendation for Americans to leave the country, he said: “We have practically no Americans . . . But we are not holding anyone in Belarus. Let them stay if they want to and let them go if they don’t. But there are 0.2 Americans.”
In early 2022, the US advised its citizens to leave Belarus due to escalating political and military tensions, particularly along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The State Department ordered the departure of American government employees’ families and, following the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, suspended US Embassy activities in Minsk. Many democratic countries have downgraded their diplomatic presence in Belarus since the 2020 unrest.
Łukašenka congratulates Trump on election victory
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja visiting New Zealand, AustraliaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityLithuania sees six-month high in irregular border crossings from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka plans to visit AlgeriaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityISW: Russia, Belarus threaten Europe by suggesting they may deploy OreshnikThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- PoliticsMinsk restricts Lithuanian trucks to checkpoints closed by VilniusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsInterior ministry brands 26 as extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka eyes "grand bargain" with Washington based on his interestsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsMinsk hints it may keep border crossings to Lithuania, Poland closedThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka accuses Poland of violating a deal on Poczobut's releaseThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityZelensky: Russia's Oreshnik missiles in Belarus to threaten EuropeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka claims journalist Pratasievič was a Minsk spy during arrest in 2021The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- SocietyFour workers injured in explosion at Biełaruskalij’s shopThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Society
- Economy
- Economy, Politics, SecurityLithuania recovers three balloons after Vilnius Airport emergency closureThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus ranks low on Rule of Law IndexThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityThree Belarusians among 1,292 deserters listed by UkraineThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMigrant activity at Belarus-EU border jumps 43 percent year on year in OctoberThe material is available only to POZIRK+



