Staff of EU embassies in Belarus may be cut

The EU countries may cut staff of their embassies in Belarus to the consular level.

The opinion was expressed by Polish member of the European Parliament Jacek Protasiewicz in an interview to RFM FM radio on March 19, BelaPAN news agency reports.

It's hard to imagine “spring will come” in the Belarusian-Polish relations after the execution of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou, Protasiewicz says. “The tragic, shocking and strange decision of Lukashenka demonstrates he is not interested in cooperation with the West,” the MEP said.

Protasiewicz expects the EU foreign ministers to take a decision on sanctions against Belarus within the week. In this case “ambassadors will not return to Minsk and the staff of the embassies may be cut to the consular level,” he said.