European Union countries reached an agreement on Wednesday to impose a new sanctions package on Belarus, as confirmed by EU diplomats and Belgium. This move is intended to shut down a route that allowed for the circumvention of sanctions against Russia.
The EU has recently implemented its 14th package of sanctions targeting Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This package includes provisions that strengthen the responsibility of EU companies exporting goods through non-EU countries. The Belgian presidency of the EU stated on X, “This package will strengthen our measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including combating circumvention of sanctions.”
The EU presidency further emphasized in a separate statement, “With this package, we just closed the biggest loophole of our sanctions regime.” Efforts to close these loopholes have intensified since last year, with Belarus identified as one of the most significant contributors.
Since January of last year, the EU has been working to align existing sanctions against Belarus, imposed prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the measures responding to the war. However, Belarus’ major potash exports posed a significant obstacle.
One diplomat clarified that the text aligns measures on dual-use goods, such as chips commonly found in everyday appliances, advanced technology, and military equipment. The package excluded a provision that some countries supported, which would have permitted the export of Belarusian potash and other agricultural goods through Europe in case of price spikes.
