Biden says he would expand sanctions on Belarus president's 'henchmen'

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he would turn up the heat on associates of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who recently won an election that the opposition says was rigged.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he would turn up the heat on associates of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who recently won an election that the opposition says was rigged. "The international community should significantly expand its sanctions on Lukashenko's henchmen and freeze the offshore accounts where they keep their stolen wealth," the former vice president said in a statement. "As president, I will also work with our European partners and allies to lay out a plan of economic support for a truly sovereign, democratic Belarus."

Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and draws on support from his key ally, Russia.