AP Photo

There has been much speculation as to the next stage of the rift between Belarus and the European Union. In late February, the ambassadors of the 27 EU nations left Minsk in response to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s request that the ambassador of Poland and the head of the EU delegation should return home for consultations. The prelude to this diplomatic spat was the decision by the Europeans to extend their travel ban to a further 21 Belarusian officials (mainly police and judges).