Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ authoritarian president, was on Friday night facing coordinated sanctions from the European Union and US, hours after riot police wielding batons arrested 200 people staging a peaceful protest over Sunday’s disputed elections in the capital, Minsk.
EU leaders, at a summit in Brussels, and the White House both indicated they would impose visa bans on a wide range of senior officials from the former Soviet republic, including Mr Lukashenko himself. They also planned financial sanctions, such as freezes on bank accounts abroad. The tough EU and US response set them sharply at odds with Russia.
I don’t think it’s over yet.