Belarus Introduced Retaliatory Sanctions against the EU

The European Union has imposed sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials who, according to Brussels, are responsible for vote rigging and human rights violations. In response, Belarus adopted its own sanctions list. This was reported on October 2 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the republic. Belarus adopted its own sanctions list in response to EU visa sanctions. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic noted that “in accordance with the established civilized diplomatic practice,” the list will not be published. “Belarus is always in words and in fact against confrontation. We are for dialogue and understanding. But as a sovereign state, we are also determined, albeit not without regret, to respond to unfriendly actions in order to naturally protect our national interests,” the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s statement reads. Earlier, the European Union published a list of 40 Belarusian officials who, according to Brussels, are responsible for electoral fraud and human rights violations. Sanctions, in particular, were imposed against Belarus’ Minister of Internal Affairs Yuri Karaev and the head of the Central Election Commission Lidia Yermoshina. The country’s President Alexander Lukashenko is not on the list. Recall, elections were held in Belarus on August 9. The Central Election Commission of the country announced the victory of the ruling president in the country Alexander Lukashenko. However, part of the population and the opposition did not recognize the results, believing that they were falsified. Massive protests and strikes take place in all major cities of Belarus. Residents of the country are demanding new elections.