Britain has imposed sanctions on potash and petroleum product exports for Belarus in a bid to put pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko who remains unfazed and said London should “choke” on the new measures.
The British sanctions prohibit the purchase of transferable securities and money-market instruments issued by the Belarusian state and its state-owned banks. This is the latest on sanctions imposed by the West over Lukashenko’s crackdown. Britain’s sanctions also include measures to prevent Belarusian air carriers from overflying or landing in the United Kingdom and a prohibition on the provision of technical assistance to Lukashenko’s fleet of luxury aircraft.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “These sanctions demonstrate that the UK will not accept Lukashenko’s action since the fraudulent election. The Lukashenko regime continues to crush democracy and violate human rights in Belarus. The products of Lukashenko’s state-owned industries will not be sold in the UK, and our aerospace companies will not touch his fleet of luxury aircraft.”
The British foreign ministry said, “These measures represent a significant additional step in bringing pressure to bear on the Lukashenko regime. They are carefully targeted to build pressure on Lukashenko, state institutions and those around him to change behaviour, while minimising, as far as possible, any unintended consequences on the wider population in Belarus.”
