Belarus To Cut U.S. Embassy Staff As Part Of Retaliatory Sanctions

Belarus says it is reducing the permitted number of diplomats and other staff at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk and tightening visa procedures for American citizens, in response to U.S. sanctions imposed on the Eastern European country over a sweeping crackdown on the opposition. Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz made the announcement on June 3, without providing specifics.

Glaz said that permission for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to work in the country has also been revoked.

“These measures are targeted. They are designed to send a clear signal to the United States about the futility of pressure and coercion in relations with Belarus,” he said.

The move comes as U.S. sanctions imposed on nine Belarusian