US Congress introduces new sanctions against Lukashenko and proposes a new package of anti-Russian sanctions | Russian Spring
After the U.S. House of Representatives proposed that Moscow should be banned from participating in the G7 summits until the Kremlin had ceased interfering in other countries’ policies, Congressmen approved a bill against Alexander Lukashenko.
If finally approved, the document entitled “Belarusian Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty” will give Washington an opportunity to impose additional sanctions against Belarus.
The text of the draft law states that its purpose is “to provide the President with additional opportunities to impose sanctions against Belarus for activities related to the controversial presidential elections and the subsequent repressive measures of the authorities.
The document also allows providing additional assistance to the Belarusian opposition activists who have been granted political asylum outside the country.
Sanctions, according to the bill, can be imposed against “the organizers of elections, against Belarusian officials who restrict the freedom of the media, officials of the Union State (Russia and Belarus) who have violated media freedom or human rights in Belarus, as well as Russian citizens who, according to Washington, were actively involved in restricting media freedom and human rights violations in Belarus”.
The document is now awaiting consideration and approval by the Senate.
The proposed package of anti-Russian sanctions states that restrictive measures with the Russian Federation will not be lifted until Moscow proves to the State Department that “the withdrawal of troops from Donbass and the de-occupation of Crimea”.
The State Department will also have to confirm that Russia has indeed stopped intervening in the politics or electoral processes of sovereign states, including the US and NATO countries.
In particular, a bill condemning “Navalny poisoning” and calling for decisive action by the US and the international community was adopted. The details of the document are not yet known.