Tougher U.S. stance needed on Belarus, expert says

EVANSTON, Ill. — Alexander Lukashenko’s attempt to steal the election and repress protestors requires a more coordinated U.S.-led response from the international community, said Ian Kelly, former U.S. Ambassador to Georgia and ambassador (ret.) in residence at Northwestern University.

“We have chairmanship of the G-7 this year,” he said. “Strong pushback from the world’s leading economies would have a tremendous impact on Lukashenko. Yet, U.S. leadership might be absent at this pivotal time and the people of Belarus are paying the price.”

Kelly is a retired senior foreign service officer who most recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Georgia from 2015 to 2018. Previously he served as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from 2010 to 2013.

Prior to these ambassadorships, Kelly held a variety of high-level positions at the U.S. State Department, including serving as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s spokesperson (2009-2010). He has extensive experience working on issues relating to NATO, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans.