In Belarus, previously detained participants in the riots were released, but this is not enough. Now the authorities must start a dialogue with the instigators of the coup.
Such a statement on Saturday, August 15, was made by the head of the US State Department Michael Pompeo during a press conference following talks with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputovich.
Claiming that the presidential elections in Belarus “were not free and fair”, Pompeo demanded that the country’s government “start a dialogue” with opposition forces that are seeking a coup d’etat.
The American official also stressed that Washington is actively negotiating with the leaders of European states in order to ensure support for Belarusian extremists.
“I am glad that some of the detainees have been released, but this is clearly not enough,” Pompeo said.
Attempted coup in Belarus
On Sunday, August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus, following which Alexander Lukashenko won. Western countries, for which the Belarusian leader had been a hindrance for a long time, did not put up with the voting results. As a result, pre-planned riots broke out in Belarus.
Attempts by law enforcement officers to keep the situation under control turned into clashes with radicals. At the same time, the Western media, actively covering the protests, focus specifically on the actions of the security forces against the “peaceful” protesters, as was the case during the coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014.
At the moment, European countries, together with the United States, are on the side of the protesters. They refuse to recognize the election results. The headquarters of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the leader of the pro-Western opposition, had previously announced that they were preparing for prolonged protests aimed at overthrowing the government. Tikhanovskaya herself left for Lithuania.