WASHINGTON: The US issued new sanctions in opposition to Belarus on Wednesday (Aug 9), the Treasury Division mentioned, including it was designating eight people and 5 entities to an inventory for allegedly funding the Belarusian authorities.
“This motion targets a number of entities concerned within the Belarusian regime’s continued civil society repression, complicity within the Russian Federation’s unjustified battle in Ukraine, and enrichment of repressive Belarusian regime chief” Alexander Lukashenko, the Treasury Division mentioned in an announcement.
Lukashenko has repeatedly accused the West of making an attempt to topple him after mass protests in opposition to his rule erupted in 2020 within the wake of a presidential election the opposition mentioned he had fraudulently received. Lukashenko mentioned he had received pretty, whereas conducting a sweeping crackdown on his opponents.
Western sanctions have been imposed on Belarus through the years in relation to that alleged crackdown and election fraud. Minsk additionally allowed Moscow to make use of Belarusian territory to ship troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 final yr.
The people and entities focused within the sanctions embrace three state-owned enterprises and the director and a subsidiary of a type of enterprises, the Treasury Division mentioned.
It added the sanctions additionally focused 4 staff of a Belarus authorities company, three people facilitating sanctions evasion in assist of Lukashenko’s authorities, and one plane recognized as blocked property.
Among the many corporations focused was the state-owned Belavia Belarusian Airways and Byelorussian Metal Works Administration Firm, which produces metal merchandise and was beforehand sanctioned by the European Union as properly.
A Florida-based three way partnership with Byelorussian Metal Works named BEL-KAP-STEEL LLC was additionally sanctioned by the Treasury Division, the division mentioned.
Belarus, led by Lukashenko since 1994, is Russia’s staunchest ally amongst ex-Soviet states. In Could, Russia moved forward with a call to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
The Treasury Division on Wednesday additionally issued two basic licenses associated to Belarus.
