United States and Global Community Adopt Broad Sanctions Targeting Belarus (Part III of IV) | Michael Volkov

The USA, Great Britain, the European Union, Canada and Switzerland have adopted or expanded sanctions against Belarus and the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

President Biden issued a new executive order that extends US sanctions powers against Belarus and authorizes the designation of government officials, oligarchs and various companies associated with the Lukashenko regime. The expanded sanctions authority now spans sectors including defense, energy, security, transport, cigarette manufacturing and construction. OFAC expects to impose a wide range of sanctions across the Belarusian economy.

The UK also imposed restrictions, including bans on technology, software, dual-use goods, oil and gas and tobacco products. The UK bans apply to UK territory and to all UK individuals and businesses, wherever they are.

The EU imposed new restrictions on air travel and bans on trade in technology products, including artificial intelligence and software products. At the beginning of summer, the EU adopted a wide range of sectoral sanctions against Belarus.

Canada has adopted revised sanctions on stocks, money market instruments, debt and various financial transactions, as well as a number of robust restrictions on oil and gas products.

Finally, Switzerland introduced new trade bans in the financial sector and products for monitoring Internet and telephone communications.

OFAC took immediate steps under the new executive order to sanction 23 individuals and 21 organizations, many of whom were involved in cracking down on protesters following last year’s controversial elections and the government’s forced landing on a Ryanair flight in May. OFAC announced the new sanctions, stressing that the measures against Belarus were unprecedented.

OFAC’s sanctions are specifically aimed at oligarchs associated with Lukashenko’s regime – individuals and corporations who continue to fund the Lukashenko regime through corrupt activities. These sanctions include oligarch Mikalai Varabei and affiliates, former government official Aliaksey Aleksin and affiliates.

OFAC also sanctioned two large state agencies: Belaruskali OAO, a world leader in the fertilizer ingredient potassium chloride, and the Grodno Tobacco Factory Neman, a tobacco factory and “main source” of illegal cigarettes in the European Union. OFAC issued a general license with the participation of Belaruskali OAO that allows individuals and companies to process transactions for 120 days.

US and international sanctions are designed to put pressure on Belarus to allow an international investigation into Ryanair’s diversion, release political prisoners and not target activists demanding free and fair elections.