U.S. Engagement on Belarus: A Conversation with George Kent

• George Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Michał Baranowski, Director, Warsaw Office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Jonathan Katz, Senior Fellow and Director of Democracy Initiatives, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

The German Marshall Fund of the United States Frontlines of Democracy Initiative in Washington, DC, and its office in Warsaw invite you to this timely conversation with George Kent, deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department. Following the fraudulent August 9 presidential election in Belarus, there have been non-stop protests. Belarusians are demanding an end to the rule of incumbent president Alyaksandr Lukashenka and to violence, repression, and political imprisonment. As Belarusians continue to speak out daily against Lukashenka, geopolitics, international engagement, and focus on Belarus have intensified. The U.S. has already spoken out, with Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun meeting with the opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in Vilnius on August 24 and "affirming the U.S. commitment to Belarus' sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the sovereign right of its people to elect their own leaders." Our conversation with DAS Kent will focus on the U.S. response to what is taking place in Belarus and what role Washington is playing in response to the immediate needs of Belarusians seeking freedom and political change. How can the United States and other partners support the sovereignty, independence, freedom, and prosperity of the Belarusian people?

If you have any questions, please contact John Alexander at [email protected].