EU approves new sanctions against Belarus over Ukraine invasion
Sanctions will also hit "some economic sectors, and in particular timber, steel and potash," it said in a statement
European Union diplomats have approved new sanctions against Belarus for its supporting role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the French presidency of the EU said on Wednesday.
EU diplomats approved new sanctions against Belarusian people who are playing a role in the attacks to Ukraine, the presidency said on Twitter.
Sanctions will also hit "some economic sectors, and in particular timber, steel and potash," it said in a statement.
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An EU official said this week that one aim of the new sanctions on Minsk was to stop exports of any further Belarusian goods to the EU, on top of those already subject to EU sanctions imposed after President Alexander Lukashenko crushed protests following elections in August 2020.
"These measures will be published in the Official Journal of the EU for entry into force," the presidency said in its statement, without indicating the exact timing of the publication.
Some of the sanctions are expected to close loopholes of existing restrictive measures.
The EU is already banning Belarus' exports of potash, a fertilizer made of potassium, and oil products. But diplomats said Belarus was still exporting potash to the EU via Ukraine, and has also boosted its exports to the EU of oil products obtained from coal.
