US prepares new sanctions against Belarus – The Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden’s administration is considering the possibility of introducing new economic sanctions against Belarus, informs The Wall Street Journal.

This decision was made after a conversation with ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, held during her visit to the United States.

According to the newspaper, the sanctions will be in addition to the restrictive measures introduced by the US authorities at the beginning of this year, and will be aimed at further isolating Alexander Lukashenko.

“We are not going to announce specific actions. But I will say that you can count on the fact that the United States, together with our partners and allies, will continue to hold the Lukashenka regime accountable for its actions, including by imposing sanctions, ”the publication quotes a representative of the US presidential administration.

According to Franak Vyachorka, adviser to Tihanovskaya, the new sanctions will affect the oil and potash sectors of the Minsk economy.

On July 20, 2021, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya held talks with Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The meeting was also attended by the head of the Eastern Europe Department of the US National Security Council Chris Smith, the head of the White House Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein and the US Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher.

During the dialogue, Tikhanovskaya spoke about the massive repressions against journalists and activists by Lukashenka, as well as the terrible conditions of detention of political prisoners. At the same time, Tikhanovskaya called on representatives of the Biden administration to increase pressure on the regime of the current government in Belarus, and also asked to help bring those responsible for the mass torture of Belarusian citizens to justice.

Previously, the United States has already imposed sanctions affecting enterprises associated with the oil refining industry. Then the list included the Belarusian Oil Trading House, Belneftekhim, Belneftekhim USA Inc, Belshina, Grodno Azot, Grodno Khimvolokno, Lakokraska, Naftan and Polotsk Fiberglass.

According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, the United States will continue to impose sanctions on Belarus amid “the growing wave of repression by the regime Lukashenko is against the aspirations of the Belarusian people for democracy and human rights ”.

In this regard, Washington, together with the EU and other partners, are constantly developing new sanctions against the Lukashenka regime due to human rights violations, corruption, falsified elections in 2020 and the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk, which was followed by the detention of the editor-in-chief of the Nexta Telegram channel Roman Protasevich and his girls.