The European Union is close to imposing new sanctions against Belarus against 30 individuals and legal entities, including the Foreign Minister and Belavia, Reuters reported.
The new sanctions target Belarusian officials, who, according to the EU, organized the arrival of migrants as revenge for sanctions against Minsk due to human rights violations.
On Wednesday, November 11, the EU ambassadors want to confirm the position that the increase in the number of migrants on the border of Belarus with Poland is a “hybrid war”, which is the legal basis for the imposition of sanctions.
Among the high-ranking officials who will be sanctioned will be Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. Also, new sanctions are being prepared against the Belavia airline. The EU previously banned him from visiting EU airspace and airports after Minsk forced a Ryanair plane to land to arrest an opposition Belarusian journalist.
Now direct sanctions against the airline will prevent it from leasing planes from Irish, Romanian and Danish companies. However, there is a debate in the EU over whether the sanctions should apply only to new leases or to existing ones as well.