US Urges Citizens to Leave Belarus

Facts

• The US on Monday urged Americans in Belarus to leave the country immediately.¹
• Following suit from a similar advisory in April, the US embassy in Minsk said that citizens "should depart immediately" and told Americans to use the remaining border crossings with Lithuania and Latvia or travel by plane.²
• The development comes after Lithuania closed two of six border crossings with Belarus last week. Poland, meanwhile, closed all but one border crossing earlier in the year and announced the transfer of 10K troops to the border last week.³
• In its statement, the US embassy cited the recent developments, adding that: "The Polish, Lithuanian, and Latvian governments have stated that further closures of border crossings with Belarus are possible."⁴
• Further reasons given by the embassy included: "Belarusian authorities' continued facilitation of Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the embassy's limited ability to assist US citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus."⁴
• The warning was classified as a Level 4 risk — the highest possible warning — which comes under the title 'do not travel.'⁵

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, ³Reuters, ⁴U.S. Embassy in Belarus (a), and ⁵U.S. Embassy in Belarus (b).

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Washington Post. Americans in Belarus currently face heightened risks, including increased chances of arrest and the possibility of not being able to leave the country if hostilities break out. This is a serious warning that should be immediately listened to and acted upon.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by MFA. The situation in Belarus is safe and stable. These are politically motivated developments aimed at giving the impression of a dangerous situation, even though that couldn't be further from the truth.

Predictions