The United States has suspended the work of its embassy in Minsk and allowed the voluntary departure of its embassy employees and their family members from Russia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released on Monday, TASS reports.
"The US Department of State has suspended operations at our Embassy in Minsk, Belarus and authorized the voluntary departure ("authorized departure") of non-emergency employees and family members at our Embassy in Moscow, Russia," the top US diplomat said in a statement.
According to Blinken, the US authorities took this step based on security issues related to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
Earlier, the US authorities announced that they intend to tighten restrictions against Belarus if it actively supports the Russian operation in Ukraine, a high-ranking US administration official said on Monday in a special telephone briefing that focused on Western-imposed restrictions against Russia.
