EU Preparing More Belarus Sanctions

The European Union is preparing another round of Belarus sanctions and considering more severe trade restrictions in response to the country’s unfair elections earlier this year, said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief. Borrell said “many” member states have asked for more sanctions, adding that the EU may designate companies in addition to government officials (see 2010050010).

“One day we will exhaust the number of people that could be sanctioned. Now, we have to go maybe to more sensitive issues, which is sanctioning firms, that will affect development and normal economic activity,” Borrell said after a Nov. 19 meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. He said there is “no positive sign at all from the [Alexander] Lukashenko regime” that the current sanctions are working.

He said he will “present a broad approach on and a complete review of our relations with Belarus, going further than sanctions.” Member states will soon discuss the measures, he said. “From what I saw from the atmosphere today, I am sure that they will agree on adopting all of them.”