A blow to the economy of Belarus and to the son of Lukashenko – against whom the EU and the US imposed sanctions

Western countries have introduced the promised sanctions against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. This was done simultaneously by the European Union, the United States, Great Britain and Canada. The sanctions were introduced both for infringement of the rights of citizens and persecution of the opposition, and for organizing the migration crisis at the EU borders.

This is reported by Reuters with reference to the press service of the governments of Western countries.

European Union

The Council of the European Union introduced the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus, having approved it at a meeting on Thursday, December 2. The restrictive measures took effect immediately.

17 individuals and 11 legal entities fell under EU penalties. These are representatives of the command of the border troops of Belarus, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the judicial system, the state air carrier Belavia, enterprises of the tourism sector and hotels, as well as OJSC Grodno Azot, the production association Belorusneft.

For the smuggling and smuggling of migrants, restrictions were imposed on the Syrian airline Cham Wings.

According to DW, these sanctions consist of freezing all assets in the EU. EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing funds or resources to those on the list. The persons involved in the penalty list are prohibited from entering the EU countries.

America

The US sanctions, according to the US Treasury Department, concern the Belarusian sovereign debt, 20 individuals and 12 legal entities, including the son of self-proclaimed leader Dmitry Lukashenko.

This is what the US sanctions list looks like

Among the companies caught up in US sanctions – Belarusian Potash Company, Transaviaexport Airlines, Slavkali and Beltechexport, as well as the President’s Sports Club and the state-owned Tsentrkurort company.

The Canadian authorities have imposed sanctions on 24 individuals and 7 legal entities in Belarus. In particular, the following were included in the sanctions list:

• “Center Resort”,
• presidential sports club,
• “Gardservice” (original name “BelSecurityGroup”),
• “BelTechExport”,
• OAO “Peleng”,
• “140 repair plant”,
• electromechanical plant “AGAT”.

Great Britain

Great Britain has imposed sanctions against the producer and exporter of potassium chloride fertilizers “Belaruskali”. It also froze assets and banned entry for:

• five propagandists who played a key role in spreading disinformation in Belarus,
• a high-ranking Belarusian official responsible for the suppression of civil society and democratic opposition in the country,
• a judge and an assistant prosecutor responsible for numerous politically motivated decisions against journalists, activists and protesters – including two BelSat journalists who were imprisoned in 2020 for broadcasting live peaceful protests.

Warnings

“It may be economically painful for Belarus that the list includes such large companies as the fertilizer producer Grodno Azot, which Alexander Lukashenko called” strategic “in the EU’s opinion and which provides significant foreign exchange earnings for the regime, as well as the petrochemical company Belorusneft “, – the German edition of Spiegel wrote about it earlier.

Back in mid-November, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell warned Lukashenka in an interview with the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche that sanctions were being developed.

Lukashenka also prepared his own sanctions. Earlier, he stated that he could close the transit of gas if the Europeans put pressure on him.