The eyes of the world are turned to Belarus today, following the sudden assassination of President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko, who had held power continuously for 26 years and had been referred to as “Europe’s Last Dictator,” was shot by a member of the opposition party. Belarus’ Prime Minister, Roman Golovchenko, is believed to have fled the country and is currently at an unknown location.
There is now dispute over who should take control of Belarus’ government, with opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and military leader General Viktor Khrenin both seeking to take power. Internal tensions continue to rise, as several incidents have already taken place in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, such as bombings and shootings.
Foreign governments, most notably the United States of America and the Russian Federation, are closely monitoring the situation in Belarus. The U.S. Department of Defense has reportedly been in contact with allies in Europe to keep the situation under control, but no direct action has been taken yet. At this stage, foreign governments view it as essential that the situation is not escalated further, and that they proceed with caution with regards to any actions.
The U.S. is not opposed to taking actions in the coming hours, however. The Department of Defense’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff commented on the news out of Minsk, stating that “the situation in Belarus is quickly deteriorating. At this time, know that the United States Government and the United States Department of Defense are taking immediate and sufficient action to address the crisis overseas. We are currently working to help stabilize the region as well as keep and restore peace and order to the crisis areas.”
What specific actions foreign governments and militaries may take in the eastern European nation remain yet to be seen.