UK imposes new sanctions on Belarus for “actively facilitating” invasion of Ukraine

Follow live the latest news on the war in Ukraine.

The UK Government has announced the imposition of new sanctions against Belarus for “actively facilitating” the “illegal invasion” of Ukraine, unleashed on February 24 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The package extends to Belarus some of the significant measures taken against Russia, including a ban on the import and export of goods worth around 60 billion pounds (around 69.66 billion euros),” the British executive said in a statement published on its website.

Thus, it has detailed that the sanctions affect the export of refined oil goods and advanced technology components, luxury goods, as well as the import of iron and steel from Belarus. “The British government is also restricting Belarus’ access to the world-class financial services sector, prohibiting more Belarusian companies from issuing debt in London,” he added.

London has stressed that “the Belarusian regime has actively facilitated Putin’s invasion, allowing Russia to use its territory to pincer Ukraine, launching troops and missiles from its border and with Russian aircraft flying through its airspace.”

In this regard, he said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “has openly supported the Kremlin’s narrative and claimed that Kiev was ‘provoking Russia’ to justify Putin’s bloody invasion.”

“Today’s measures extend the British government’s far-reaching measures against Belarus, including a 35 percent increase in tariffs on a range of goods originating in Belarus and sanctions against Lukashenko and senior (Belarusian) government officials for their continued violations of Human Rights and undermining democracy,” he has concluded.