Food embargo against “unfriendly countries” entered into force in Belarus | Major political events in Belarus: assessments, forecasts, comments

On Saturday, January 1, a ban on the import of a number of food products from Western countries, introduced by the Belarusian authorities as a response to the fifth package of European Union sanctions, came into force in Belarus. The corresponding government decree was adopted on December 7, 2021 and affected “a wide list of goods produced in countries that implement discriminatory policies and carry out unfriendly actions” against Minsk.

Products from EU countries, USA, Canada, UK

According to the decree, the food embargo applies to a number of products from the EU countries, as well as the USA, Canada, Norway, Albania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Great Britain, Montenegro and Switzerland. The list of prohibited goods includes, in particular, pork, meat of cattle and meat products, a number of by-products, milk and dairy products with some exceptions, vegetables with the exception of those intended for sowing, fruits, nuts, animal fats, confectionery and salt.

The ban will not apply to products imported by Belarusians for personal consumption, as well as those intended for baby food and a number of others. However, Minsk threatened “in case of further destructive actions” towards Belarus to expand the list of goods prohibited for import.

According to the Belarusian government, in 10 months of 2021 Belarus imported food from these countries in the amount of more than 530 million US dollars (in terms of 466 million euros), the bulk of this import is now subject to a ban.

Fifth package of EU sanctions against Belarus

On December 2, the EU Council introduced the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus as a penalty measure in the conflict over the use of migrants by Minsk as an instrument of pressure on Brussels. Another 17 individuals and 11 legal entities fell under the sanctions of the European Union, in particular, representatives of the command of the border troops of Belarus, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the judiciary, the state air carrier Belavia, enterprises of the tourism sector and hotels, as well as OJSC Grodno Azot, the production association Belorusneft “.

On the same day, the USA, Great Britain and Canada announced that they would support the punitive measures of the European Union against the Belarusian regime. In particular, the US sanctions, according to the US Treasury Department, concern the Belarusian sovereign debt, 20 individuals and 12 legal entities, including Dmitry Lukashenko, the middle son of the Belarusian ruler. In addition, the Belarusian Potash Company, Transaviaexport, Slavkali and Beltechexport fell under the sanctions.

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Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Migrant crisis – new sanctions

The Baltic states and the EU as a whole accuse Alexander Lukashenko of creating a crisis with migrants on the border of Belarus with the EU. On December 2, 2021, Brussels introduced the fifth package of sanctions measures. The list includes 17 individuals and 11 organizations. It includes Belavia, Tsentrkurort and Oskartur, as well as the Grodno Azot, Belorusneft and Belshina enterprises. About the sanctions packages adopted earlier – in the DW photo gallery.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

A signal to the Lukashenko regime

Aiding illegal migration is one of the reasons for the adoption of sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. Others include human rights violations in Belarus. On December 2, restrictive measures were also expanded by the US, UK and Canada. 20 people have been added to the list of US sanctions, including Dmitry Lukashenko’s middle son, and 12 organizations: Slavkali, Agat, Belarusian Potash Company, Beltechexport and others.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

EU response to violence

The sanctions against Minsk were also a response to the falsification of the election results and the violent dispersal of peaceful protests. The UK and Canada were the first to introduce them in September 2020. London blacklisted eight people, including Alexander and Viktor Lukashenko, then Interior Minister Yuri Karaev, and Minsk OMON commander Dmitry Balaba. Ottawa – 11 people.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

In the EU sanctions list – the head of the Central Election Commission

In October 2020, the EU included 40 people on the sanctions list. Among them are the heads of law enforcement agencies, in particular, the now ex-head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yuri Karaev and the commander of the riot police in Minsk Dmitry Balaba, the head of the detention center at Akrestsin Street Ivan Sokolovsky. The entire composition of the Central Election Commission, including its head, Lydia Yermoshina, fell under the sanctions. They are banned from entering the EU and freezing European assets.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Lukashenka on the EU blacklist

Alexander Lukashenko himself was included in the EU sanctions list in November. Brussels holds him responsible for the brutal repression in the country. The second list of persons who fell under the sanctions included at that time Lukashenka’s national security adviser, his eldest son Viktor, press secretary Natalya Eismont, KGB head Ivan Tertel, Chairman of the Constitutional Court Petr Miklashevich and 10 other people.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Third package of EU sanctions

A month later, in December 2020, another 29 high-ranking officials were personally sanctioned for political repression and aggressive propaganda, which, in particular, is accused of the Belarusian state television. Among them are the speaker of the upper house of parliament Natalya Kochanova, Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak and Prosecutor General Andrei Shved, as well as the head of Belteleradiocompany Ivan Eismont.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Penalties against Belarusian enterprises

The list also includes seven enterprises and companies, including the 140th Repair Plant, which repairs tanks, the Agat plant, the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), which produces wheelbases for weapons systems, Beltechexport, which sells military equipment to others. countries, the developer Dana Holdings and the IT-company “Synesis”, which provides the Belarusian authorities with a platform for video surveillance.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Air boycott after the incident with Ryanair

At the beginning of 2021, repressions in Belarus continued, but Brussels did not impose new sanctions. However, after the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in May and the arrest of blogger Roman Potasevich and his companion Sofia Sapieha, the EU urged European air carriers to avoid flying over Belarus. And since June, the planes of Belavia and other state-owned companies of the Republic of Belarus have been banned from flying over the EU and landing at its airports.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

MAZ and BelAZ in the penalty list

The interception of the plane was followed by a fourth package of EU sanctions. There are 78 more names in it: in addition to Lukashenko’s second son Dmitry and Viktor Lukashenko’s wife Lilia, these are security officials, military men, judges, university rectors, parliament members, as well as businessmen associated with Lukashenko – Mikhail Gutseriev, Alexey Oleksin, Sergei Teterin. The list also includes eight companies, including MAZ and BelAZ.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

EU sectoral sanctions

This package also includes sanctions against key sectors of the Belarusian economy. They prohibit the import of Belarusian oil products and potash fertilizers into the EU, the supply of raw materials for the tobacco industry to Belarus, equipment for intercepting telephone and Internet communications, as well as dual-use goods that can be used for repression. Minsk also has limited access to European capital markets.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Ryanair’s joint response to interception

Together with the EU, the United States, Great Britain and Canada have adopted sanctions in response to the interception of the Ryanair aircraft and the violation of human rights in Belarus. Washington has blacklisted five organizations and 16 citizens of Belarus. In it, in particular, Natalya Eismont, Natalya Kochanova, Nikolai Karpenkov, Andrey Shved, Ivan Tertel. London contributed 11 people and two organizations. Ottawa – 17 individuals and five legal entities.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Large-scale sanctions from the United States

Back in April, the United States resumed the sanctions against Belarus, which had been suspended in 2015. 9 petrochemical enterprises were hit. And on the anniversary of the elections on August 9, restrictions were introduced against 23 individuals and 21 organizations. The black list includes, in particular, the NOC of Belarus, the Investigative Committee, Belaruskali, Belneftegaz. The White House sees the actions of the Lukashenka regime as a threat to the US national security.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

New UK and Canadian sanctions

And the UK and Canada introduced sectoral sanctions in August 2021, similar to those adopted by the EU. Trade restrictions affect potash fertilizers, petroleum products, the supply of goods to Belarus for the production of cigarettes and dual-use technologies. The purchase of Belarusian securities and the provision of loans are prohibited. London also banned the maintenance of the aircraft fleet of Lukashenka and his entourage.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

Belarusian opposition “for” sanctions

The democratic forces of Belarus, led by ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, are confident that economic and political pressure can force the authorities to change their behavior, sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition and hold new, fair presidential elections. The sanctions, in their opinion, are also aimed at ensuring that Lukashenka releases all political prisoners – now there are more than 800 of them in the country.

Sanctions against Belarus: who is on the lists and what is banned?

When will sanctions be lifted from Belarus

The lifting of sanctions will be possible only when the Belarusian authorities fully adhere to the principles of democracy and the rule of law and stop repression, Brussels emphasizes. “The EU will continue to support a democratic, independent, sovereign, prosperous and stable Belarus. The voice and will of the people of Belarus will not be suppressed,” reads his statement on the anniversary of the elections.

Author: Yanina Moroz