US warns citizens to avoid Belarus; Canadians advised to stay away from Ukraine U.S. Embassy in Minsk (Homoatrox/WikiCommons)
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The U.S. State Department is warning American travelers to avoid Belarus due to the “arbitrary enforcement” of laws, the risk of detention, and the “unusual and concerning” Russian military buildup along Belarus’s border with Ukraine.
The advisory on February 1 came as Canada told its citizens to avoid all travel to Ukraine citing “ongoing Russian threats and the risk of armed conflict.”
“If you are in Ukraine, you should leave while commercial means are available,” the advisory added.
The advisories are the latest signs that global concern is mounting that Russia could be preparing for an invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Moscow has amassed more than an estimated 100,000 troops in border areas, including in Belarus, which shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine.
“Due to an increase in unusual and concerning Russian military activity near the border with Ukraine, U.S. citizens located in or considering travel to Belarus should be aware that the situation is unpredictable and there is heightened tension in the region,” the travel advisory states.
The State Department added that the U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Belarus was already severely limited due to Belarusian government limitations on staffing at the embassy in Minsk.
“Potential harassment targeted specifically at foreigners is also possible. Given the heightened volatility of the situation, U.S. citizens are strongly advised against traveling to Belarus,” the advisory says.
Moscow says there is no proof it is planning a new incursion into Ukraine and has demanded legally binding guarantees from the United States and NATO that Ukraine will never join the alliance, that it will halt the deployment of weapons systems near Russian borders, and that its forces will be rolled back from Eastern Europe.
NATO and Washington have rejected the demands as nonstarters.
Canada previously ordered the departure of some embassy staff and family members of diplomats to leave Ukraine.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry said on January 31 it would temporarily withdraw nonessential Canadian employees and remaining dependents from its embassy in Kyiv.
Britain and the United States announced similar orders last week. Ukraine characterized the moves as “premature.”
