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The diplomat recalled that last Friday, August 14, the Minsk authorities handed over the detained Wagner militants to Russia, despite the presence of all legal and moral grounds to hand them over to Ukraine.

"This step undermined trust between our countries and dealt a heavy blow to our bilateral relations," Kuleba said in a statement published on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry today.

After that, Alexander Lukashenko repeatedly and completely groundlessly accused Ukraine of unfriendly steps against Belarus.

In addition, the foreign minister said that new threats to both the personal safety of citizens and regional security in general stem from official reports on the possible active involvement of Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in resolving the situation in Belarus.

"Taking this into account, I decided to summon Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus Ihor Kyzym for consultations in Kyiv to assess the prospects of Ukrainian-Belarusian relations in the new reality that has developed and to make appropriate decisions taking into account the entire range of factors," Kuleba said.

The minister noted that the Foreign Ministry for the first time in its history has resorted to such a step in relations with Belarus and is doing it solely because of the unacceptable actions of Minsk.

“We will strictly defend our national interests. At the same time, the ambassador's summons for consultations will in no way affect our ability to ensure the rights and legitimate interests of Ukrainian citizens in Belarus,” the diplomat assured.

Kuleba recalled that due to the aggravation of the security situation in Belarus, Ukraine has already recommended its citizens to refrain from traveling to this country. Those who are already in Belarus are advised to avoid mass events and places of mass gathering.

The Foreign Ministry explained that calling the ambassador for consultations in Kyiv is one of the forms of diplomatic response, which is used to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the policy or unfriendly actions of a foreign state which this ambassador is accredited to.

As reported, the presidential election took place in Belarus on August 9. According to the final results announced on August 14, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko garnered 80.1% of the vote, while opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya received 10.1%.

Protests by citizens who reject the official election results have been going on in Belarus for a week now. Belarusian law enforcement officials are using force against peaceful protesters that have engulfed across the country. Security forces used rubber bullets, stun grenades and water cannons against demonstrators. More than 6,700 people have been detained since the beginning of the protests. At least 250 people were hospitalized and some people were killed.

Among those detained in Minsk were two citizens of Ukraine - Kostiantyn Reutsky and Yevhen Vasylyev. On August 15, they returned to Ukraine.

FM-TV

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