The European Union has imposed new restrictions on trade and other operations with Belarus in order to curtail Russian sanctions evasion.
Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU slapped multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia, including a ban on the import of dual-use technologies and other goods.
Russia has used its neighbors, including ally Belarus, as an intermediary to get around Western sanctions. The latest EU restrictions aim to close that loophole.
“The close integration of the Russian and Belarusian economies has substantially facilitated the circumvention of existing sanctions against Russia. This new set of sanctions against Belarus mirrors several of the measures already imposed on Russia, making EU sanctions against Russia more effective,” the European Commission said in a June 29 statement.
The EU has expanded its ban on the export of dual-use goods and advanced technology to Belarus to include items that enhance the country’s industrial capacity. The bloc has also banned maritime navigation equipment, oil refining technology, and certain luxury goods. The new measures also ban the transit of such goods through Belarus.
The EU has also banned the import of goods that allow Belarus to diversify its source of revenue as well as the import of gold and diamonds. The EU had previously banned the import of gold and diamonds from Russia, which is one of the world’s biggest miners of the both natural resources.
The measures urge EU companies to prevent their foreign subsidiaries from engaging in activities that undermine sanctions. The European Council can now impose targeted measures against individuals or entities that circumvent the sanctions or that significantly undermine their purpose or effectiveness.
