American looking to visit

[u/geostocktravelfitguy]

Let me start off by saying, I've traveled extensively including "do no travel" countries by the USA state department. I'm also not an influencer/content creator or journalist.

Belarus is do not travel and currently the USA has suspended service there.

If I'm just looking at exploring the country do you foresee any issues? Besides apparently very extensive border searches for US/UK and other passport holders.

[u/Tough-Lie-5156]

There are two issues in Belarus with sensitivities and risks around them. The Ukraine war and internal political dissent.

The war in Ukraine is accelerating. Belarus is complicit. Russia is increasing hybrid attacks on neighbouring NATO and non-NATO countries (drones deep into Moldova, Polish border etc), "people smugglers" attacking Latvian border guards. This might result in land border closures. In July, Zelensky threatened Belarus with reprisal attacks if Belarus entered war in any way and boasted of "500 targets". Clearly Belarus will be sensitive to anything that looks like hostile reconnaissance of targets, so that could be you taking a photo of a train station or a water plant in Minsk. Or indeed any building that has strategic value, even if it isnt obvious to you.

As you doubtless know, Belarus has ruthlessly suppressed protest for 6 years. Do not put yourself and others at risk by trying to discuss political issues or the war when in Belarus.

IMHO now is not the time to go. Wait a couple of years.

[u/geostocktravelfitguy → u/Tough-Lie-5156]

I agree there are certainly Ukraine war spill over risks.

I don't discuss internal politics when I'm a guest in another country. Whether that's China, Belarus or elsewhere.

[u/randomastronauti → u/geostocktravelfitguy]

15000 people are killed by guns every year in your country and you are worried about the extremely unlikely risk of a drone attack?

[u/geostocktravelfitguy → u/randomastronauti]

I'm not worried about drone attacks. There are risks that borders are sealed if certain things happened. I'll leave my guns at home.

[u/randomastronauti → u/geostocktravelfitguy]

Take enough cash so that you can buy a plane ticket to Istanbul or Tel Aviv in case Poland is again closing the borders. Be aware that such a ticket might cost more than 1000 dollars

[u/bobre737 → u/randomastronauti]

> in case Poland is again closing the borders

Poland had its border closed for US citizens traveling from Belarus since 2022.

[u/Tough-Lie-5156 → u/geostocktravelfitguy]

I think you can expect rigorous questioning and a phone check. Didn't happen to me, but happens to plenty of people. The main concern for me (apart from inadvertently attracting attention with a camera) was sudden border closures which do happen. Obviously obtaining money in-country is not always possible. I went in August, everything was fine, but I had kept a close eye and felt I had a few months before the war would ramp up. It ramped up almost immediately after and I think it might prove hard for Belarus to stay out of it, especially with Lukashenko's statements recently.

[u/drfreshie → u/Tough-Lie-5156]

"Belarus has ruthlessly suppressed protest for 6 years" - this statement is absurd, Belarus is the country that has been protesting, Russia and its collaborators has suppressed this protest.

"Belarus is complicit" (in the war) - same deal.

[u/Tough-Lie-5156 → u/drfreshie]

Well that is wishful thinking. 'Some' Belarusians have protested, but there is a constituency who benefit directly from the Lukashenko dictatorship, another who tolerate it because they think it provides stability and another who are content to accept that they cannot become involved in politics as the price to pay for having a reasonably comfortable life.

If you think there aren't a huge number of Belarusians complicit in the regime then you have little to no idea of how authoritarian regimes function and survive.

[u/drfreshie → u/Tough-Lie-5156]

Your statement goes both ways: there's no denying 'some' Belarusians are complicit in the war and in the mass torture, but they do not represent Belarus, they were unequivocally rejected by Belarusian voters in 2020. And if their number was as huge as you claim then they could easily win a free and fair election - this is what Belarusians want, this is what the protests are about. The statements "Belarus suppressed protest" and "Belarus is complicit in the war" are false.

[u/Tough-Lie-5156 → u/drfreshie]

There is no monomind in Belarus. There are different constituencies, with different interests, as per my post. Same as every country.