On June 21 and 24, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada imposed several new sanctions packages against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. The actions form part of a coordinated Western response to the serious human rights abuses observed in Belarus since the August 9, 2020, presidential elections there. The newly announced restrictive measures, especially those coming from the EU, are in many ways unprecedented. For the first time, the penalties against Belarus include tailor-made economic sanctions with a focus on the crucial oil refining, potash and banking sectors. And even if some of the measures have been watered-down, they are still ultimately likely to bring some far-reaching consequences.
OP-ED
Mateusz Kubiak: EU sanctions put a heavy burden on Lukashenko’s regime
A picture taken on Oct. 6, 2013, shows a general view of Belaruskali potash mines near the Belarus town of Soligorsk, some 130 km south of the capital Minsk.
