Belarusian Pickets Russian Embassy In United States

This is the second time in two months that Viachaslau Bortnik is protesting.

Viachaslau Bortnik, a native of Homel, who has been living in the U.S. for 6 years and works for the human rights organization Amnesty International, came to the Russian embassy in early June and July this year with a poster "Putin, Hands Off Belarus," Homelskaya Viasna reports.

"In this way, I express my personal concern about the future of my motherland Belarus," - Viachaslau Bortnik explains. - What we see and read gives the impression that the Belarusian people either support the deepening of integration processes with Russia or are indifferent to the fate of the country's independence. Although, if Russia wants to annex Belarus, no one will ask Lukashenka's permission.

According to Viachaslau Bortnik, the Belarusian politicians and political scientists, who come to Washington, are divided in their views on the possible integration with Russia: "There is a waiting policy: a blind trust in sheer luck. But I fully agree with Andrei Sannikov - if we keep silent now, no one will help us later and it will be too late. All this is very alarming."

Already traditionally, employees of the Russian embassy photographed the protester first, and then called the police and U.S. security services, allegedly explaining that this hinders the embassy's work.

"Of course, the police arrived, but rather for the sake of formality. They protect public order, including us, and not just the Russian embassy from us," - Bortnik said.