Da Belarusian thread

[Sheilbh]

The footage coming out of the continuing protests is still incredible.

It seems like state security forces become entirely incapacitated if their masks are pulled off.

[Razgovory]

Time to use the carrot for Lukashenko?

Steven Seagall just looks worse, and worse.

[The Brain]

He eats healthy.

[Sheilbh]

EU still can't impose sanctions on Belarus or Belarussian leaders after several rounds of trying - Borrell has acknowledged this is an issue of credibility for the EU now. Apparently the issue is that Cyprus is vetoing everything until there's a parallel sanctions on Turkey:
https://www.politico.eu/article/borrell-admits-eu-credibility-is-at-stake-in-failure-to-sanction-belarus/

I get Cyprus using their leverage but it is still pretty disappointing especially as the protests continue.

[Admiral Yi]

Whoever designed the EU wasn't thinking when they put that veto in.  Didn't they read their Polish history?

[Sheilbh]

Whoever designed the EU wasn't thinking when they put that veto in.  Didn't they read their Polish history?

Member states are super-protective around foreign and national security policy, understandably. But it does lead to issues like this.

[Razgovory]

Why did they let Cyprus in?

[Sheilbh]

Why did they let Cyprus in?

Cyprus is one of the countries that I actually think shouldn't have been let in. The plan was that a united Cyprus would join the EU by accepting the Annan peace plan. The Greek Cypriots rejected it by referendum and then joined anyway. I think that was a mistake - entirely separate from this discussion obviously but still.

[The Larch]

Why did they let Cyprus in?

Cyprus is one of the countries that I actually think shouldn't have been let in. The plan was that a united Cyprus would join the EU by accepting the Annan peace plan. The Greek Cypriots rejected it by referendum and then joined anyway. I think that was a mistake - entirely separate from this discussion obviously but still.

I tend to agree, admission should have been linked to reunification. Then again it's understandable that Cyprus is looking for help with Turkey, seeing the way it is being bullied in recent times.

[Sheilbh]

Worth noting these protests are continuing and expanding demographically - new chant "the babushkas are against OMON" and "freedom for our grandchildren". Groups of pensioners congregating at a rally outside Government House. One of the groups walking past the KGB HQ:


Quite sweet stories of young protesters taking care of the marching elders, making sure there's plenty of water, rest stops as needed

Also the EU has agreed sanctions (Not fully clear what bribery/pressure was brought to bear on Cyprus - but probably worth it).

[Josquius]

I note we don't have a Nagorno-karabakh thread.
It seems relevant to this news too though. Russia has its attention split between its west and south... Should make things look a bit shakier for the dictatorship in Belarus.

[Liep]

Also the EU has agreed sanctions (Not fully clear what bribery/pressure was brought to bear on Cyprus - but probably worth it).

They were asking for equal sanctions on Turkey for their Mediterranean "aggression", so maybe they were promised something as EU might have to consider it for Turkey's Armenian war as well.

[Valmy]

Glad we added a Caucasian war to the troubles of our age.

[Sheilbh]

Also the EU has agreed sanctions (Not fully clear what bribery/pressure was brought to bear on Cyprus - but probably worth it).

They were asking for equal sanctions on Turkey for their Mediterranean "aggression", so maybe they were promised something as EU might have to consider it for Turkey's Armenian war as well.

Yeah - it'll be interesting to see what they get out of this (and much as it would have been nice to see sanctions sooner - fair play to Cyprus, they had leverage and used it).

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Also the EU has agreed sanctions (Not fully clear what bribery/pressure was brought to bear on Cyprus - but probably worth it).

They were asking for equal sanctions on Turkey for their Mediterranean "aggression", so maybe they were promised something as EU might have to consider it for Turkey's Armenian war as well.

no need for quotes around the word aggression