Latest Belarus News

Belarus has no immediate plans to adopt Russian currency, its strongman leader Lukashenko says

May. 29, 2023 14:12 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus and Russia have no plans to adopt a joint currency in the near future, Belarus’ strongman leader announced on Monday. Speaking at a meeting with the head of Russia’s central bank, Alexander Lukashenko said that introducing the Russian ruble in...

Poland imposes sanctions on 365 Belarusians over 'draconian' verdict against journalist

May. 29, 2023 12:30 PM EDT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland imposed sanctions Monday on 365 Belarusian citizens and froze the financial assets of 20 entities and 16 other people associated with Russian capital in reaction to what it condemned as a “draconian” verdict against a journalist. Under the...

Migrants with children stuck at Poland's border wall; activists say Belarus won't let them turn back

May. 28, 2023 20:54 PM EDT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A group of some 30 migrants seeking asylum, including small children, has been stuck at Poland's border wall with Belarus for three days, Polish human rights activists said Sunday. Although the migrants were outside Poland's border wall, activists from Grupa...

Ukraine's Kostyuk booed at French Open after no handshake with Belarus' Sabalenka because of war

May. 28, 2023 15:09 PM EDT

PARIS (AP) — Unable to sleep the night before her first-round match at the French Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the Grand Slam tournament's No. 2 seed, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine checked her phone at 5 a.m. Sunday and saw disturbing news back home in Kyiv. At least one...

Belarus upholds 8-year prison sentence for journalist of top Polish newspaper

May. 26, 2023 12:53 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' Supreme Court on Friday upheld an eight-year prison sentence handed to a prominent member of the country’s sizable Polish minority and a correspondent for a top newspaper in Poland. The decision is seen part of the government's sweeping, year's...

Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

May. 25, 2023 12:12 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia and Belarus signed a deal Thursday formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of the...

FRENCH OPEN 2023: Defending champion Swiatek seeded 1st; Sabalenka 2nd; Gauff 6th

May. 25, 2023 11:06 AM EDT

PARIS (AP) — Here are the top women to watch at the French Open, which begins at Roland Garros on Sunday: ___ IGA SWIATEK Seeded: 1 Career-Best Ranking: 1 Country: Poland Age:...

Damage to Russian-occupied dam submerges Ukrainian reservoir island community

May. 25, 2023 10:02 AM EDT

LYSOHIRKA, Ukraine (AP) — The rising waters came as a relief at first, for both the tiny community living on the islands in the southern Kakhovka Reservoir and for everyone who had feared the low levels risked a meltdown at the nearby Russian-occupied nuclear power plant. Since...

Were Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Belarus? Ukraine's top prosecutor is investigating

May. 24, 2023 16:01 PM EDT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's prosecutor-general says it's investigating the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus, adding to allegations that Russia is also transferring them to its territory. Ukrainian law enforcement officers said they are investigating the...

Nobel peace laureate transferred to brutal prison in Belarus, his wife says

May. 24, 2023 13:54 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski has been transferred to a notoriously brutal prison in Belarus and hasn't been heard from in a month, his wife said Wednesday. Natalia Pinchuk told The Associated Press that Bialiatski, who is serving a 10-year...