The European Union is punishing the Belarusian state airline Belavia and the Syrian airline Cham Wings for their part in channeling asylum seekers through Belarus to the EU. In addition, a travel agency and hotels have been put on the sanction list. Penalties are also being taken against a unit of the border guard led by a son of Lukashenko, because it is said to have sent asylum seekers across the border into the EU.
The United States and the United Kingdom, among other things, took sanctions against the fertilizer industry, which is important for the Belarusian economy. In addition, the Americans put several defense companies on the blacklist. It is also becoming more difficult for Americans to trade in Belarusian debt.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would retaliate against the sanctions with ‘adequate’ countermeasures.
The sanctions come at a time when the situation at the Belarus-EU border is de-escalating. On Wednesday, European Commissioner Johansson said that the influx of refugees and migrants into Belarus has virtually stopped and that Iraqis are being repatriated from the area.
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