The U.S. Embassy in Minsk on August 21 told U.S. citizens to leave Belarus immediately and advised any Americans planning a trip to the East European country not to go.
The embassy said U.S. citizens who are in Belarus “should depart immediately” and should consider leaving via the remaining border crossings with Lithuania and Latvia or by plane.
The embassy’s advisory follows a similar message issued in April that also told U.S. citizens to leave Belarus immediately.
Its latest message noted that Lithuania on August 18 closed two border crossings -- Sumsko and Tvereciaus -- with Belarus.
Lithuania said it was closing the two border crossings in response to escalating tensions with Belarus, which has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for Moscow’s invasion.
While other border crossings remain open, it's not clear for how long. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia -- NATO members on the alliance's eastern flank -- have said that further closures are possible, according to BPN, a project of the former BelaPAN independent news agency.
The U.S. Embassy’s message on August 21 also advised Americans not to travel to Belarus “due to Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine," and other reasons, including the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus.
Belarus is hosting troops belonging to the private Wagner mercenary group who arrived after their short-lived mutiny in June.
The embassy advisory also cited "the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus" as reasons for its warning.
The United States has previously advised Americans against visiting Belarus, including in January 2022 about one month before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the same month, the U.S. State Department also ordered the departure of family members of American civil servants from Belarus.