Russia-Ukraine war: EU imposes new sanctions on Belarus for its role in Russia's invasion
Moscow (Russia), March 2: The permanent representatives of EU countries have agreed on new sanctions against Belarus, including the economic ones for its supporting role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, informed the French Presidency of the Council of EU States on Wednesday.
"COREPER II just approved new sanctions against Belarusian officials and military involved in the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Certain sectors of the Belarusian economy, in particular, the wood, steel and potash sectors," a tweet by the presidency read.
One of the objectives of the latest sanctions on Minsk, according to an EU official, is to restrict the transfer of any more Belarusian goods to the EU, on top of those already sanctioned by the EU after President Alexander Lukashenko crushed protests following elections in August 2020.
The presidency said in a statement that "these measures will be published in the Official Journal of the EU for entry into force," but did not specify when that would happen.
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Some of the sanctions are expected to plug gaps in current restrictive measures.
Belarus' exports of potash, a potassium-based fertiliser, and oil products have already been banned by the EU. However, diplomats claimed Belarus was still exporting potash to the EU via Ukraine and had increased its exports of coal-derived oil to the EU.
Notably, Belarus has been hit by global sanctions in response to the role the country is playing in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including facilitating the invasion from within its borders.
Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom had imposed sanctions on Belarus.
Four top defence officials have been sanctioned, preventing them from travelling to the United Kingdom and freeing any assets they may have in the United Kingdom. A Belarusian aircraft repair plant and a military semiconductor manufacturer have also been sanctioned.
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-PTC News
