But with 80 percent of the Belarusian population now online, it is hard to hide the pandemic. Copyright © 2020 by Coda Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No election held since 1996 has been free or fair.

"Although there is a clear will to adopt these [Belarus] sanctions, it has not been possible to do that today because the required unanimity was not reached," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after hosting talks on September 21.

’Tis the season for travel in China. Some bars and restaurants have closed on their own. He faced... Coronavirus is out of control in Syria, no matter what the government says. Support Coda now and join the conversation with our team. But he maintains that lockdowns and closures do not work. “Belarus is a very poor country and it cannot rely on anyone,” said Ryhor Astapenia, a fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House. Lukashenko Turned Them Down "We will not dance to anyone's tune" was the precise response. What you need to know: Vaccine tracker | Coronavirus etiquette | Summertime activities & coronavirus | Hand sanitizer recall | Your life at home | Personal finance guide | Make your own fabric mask | Follow all of our coronavirus coverage and sign up for our free newsletter. The decision was a gamble by authorities who can’t expect a bailout from the West or international organizations to help its economy which was already in deep recession. In Minsk the streets are noticeably less crowded with many companies, especially those in the country’s thriving IT sector, electing to switch to working remotely. In trying to bring Belarus and Russia together, Lukashenko may have awakened his country’s citizens to how independent they really want to be. • impose a police state Now we see another dimension to the German push to remove Belarus President Lukashenko!

The World Bank offered Belarus a $940 million coronavirus loan in June.

With Senate Republicans firmly behind him, the president said a decision will come Saturday. From Sept. 28, the government will impose fines of 1,000 pounds, about $1,300, against those who do not self-isolate after testing positive for the virus or after being traced as a close contact of someone infected. Before the coronavirus hit Europe, the Belarusian economy was already in a tailspin from an ongoing conflict over oil prices with Russia and a dramatic fall in exports to China. Tens of thousands of people continued their protests in Minsk on Sunday, despite a heavy police presence. [Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic. In Belarus, Lukashenko Bets on No Lockdown.