Lukashenko: Belarus will shut transit routes if sanctions imposed

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, facing a nearly three-week popular uprising since a disputed election, threatened on Friday to cut off European transit routes across his country if sanctions are imposed.

Speaking during a visit to a dairy factory in the country’s east, Lukashenko said he would block European neighbours from shipping goods to Russia over Belarusian territory, and divert exports now shipped through ports in EU member Lithuania.

“They got fat and forgot what Belarus is. And thought we could be frightened off with rockets and tanks,” Belta state news agency quoted him as saying. “Well let’s see who is afraid of whom. We’ll show them what sanctions are.”