EU prolongs sanctions against belarus for another year

The Council of the European Union has extended the restrictive measures against belarus linked to internal repression and support for russia's war against Ukraine for another year. The sanctions will now be in effect until February 28, 2024.

According to the message of the EU Council, the decision was made on the basis of an annual review and taking into account the "constant seriousness of the internal situation in the country" and the participation of belarus in russian aggression against Ukraine.

Currently, 195 people, including self-proclaimed president alexander lukashenko, and 34 other organizations are on the sanctions list.

Restrictions include:

• prohibition to enter the EU,
• freezing of assets,
• ban on EU citizens to transfer funds to sanctioned persons.

belarus also remains subject to targeted economic sanctions, including restrictions on the financial sector, trade, dual-use goods, technology and telecommunications, energy, transport, and others.

The EU began to introduce successive rounds of sanctions against belarus in August 2020. In particular, restrictions were imposed against people and companies responsible for internal repression and human rights violations in belarus, as well as in the context of russia's participation in the war against Ukraine.

For reference:

belarus did not send its own troops to Ukraine but provided its territory for the russian forces that were shelling Ukraine. lukashenko also actively supports putin's policy.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, suggested in December that russian troops might try to launch a "major offensive" against Ukraine in early 2023. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhnyi stated that the Defense Forces of Ukraine were preparing for various scenarios of events in the coming months, making every effort to stabilize the situation in the east.

As of January, border guards estimate that there were approximately 11,000 russian troops in belarus. But this number is constantly changing because there is a rotation. The General Staff also states that there are still no signs of the formation of a strike group on the territory of belarus.