President of Belarus Seeks to Close Charities

The president of Belarus plans to close nongovernmental organizations in his country that receive financial support from the United States, reports The St. Petersburg Times.

Alexander Lukashenko said such groups are ruining the country, stating, “Those who bring money into Belarus illegally, they are destroying themselves with this money.” Mr. Lukashenko has not named any specific groups.

The move comes after the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed a law last year demanding that nongovernmental organizations undergo more-stringent supervision.