The US imposes new sanctions against Belarus

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three Belarusian legal entities and nine individuals, as well as the luxury jet of dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

The restrictions apply to the state-owned Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ), one of the world's largest manufacturers of large trucks, the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), which the ministry called "a significant source of income for the Lukashenko regime," as well as the country's Central Election Commission (CEC), Ekonomichni Novyny reports.

"The CEC played a role in preventing opposition candidates from running (in the rigged presidential election in Belarus in August 2020), denying observers access to polling stations, and certifying inaccurate vote counts," the report says.

Among the individuals added to the sanctions list are BelAZ director Sergei Nikiforovich, MAZ head Valery Ivankovich, and seven members of the Central Election Commission.

The US has also sanctioned a luxury airliner that Lukashenko uses for personal travel.

"Lukashenka's authoritarian regime relies on state-owned enterprises and key officials to generate significant revenues that allow him to carry out repressive actions against the Belarusian people," said Brian Nelson, the US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. "We remain committed to holding the Lukashenko regime accountable for its suppression of democracy and support of Putin's chosen war."

Although Belarus has not officially declared war on Ukraine, Russian troops have gained access to Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine, including an unsuccessful assault on Kyiv in February 2022.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 25/03/2023