Washington prepares new sanctions against Belarus

INA-  sources



The United States announced Monday “preparing” new sanctions against Belarus, “in coordination with the European Union”, to denounce the “inhuman” exploitation of migratory flows.
 
“We will continue to demand accountability” from the power of President Alexander Lukashenko “for his persistent attacks on democracy, human rights and international standards,” warned the spokesman for American diplomacy Ned Price to the press.
 
The EU will also sanction
Belarus is accused of having orchestrated the influx of migrants now massed on its border with Poland in revenge for Western sanctions taken after the repression of the opposition in this country following a disputed election. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people often from Iraqi Kurdistan, including women and children, have been camping for several days in freezing cold on the border between these two Eastern European countries, clustered around campfires or bundled up in covers.
 
The EU announced on Monday that it is preparing new sanctions against the Belarusian regime, which will affect “a significant number” of people and entities, EU foreign minister Josep Borrell said. Alexander Loukachenko said he was ready to “defend” himself in the event of European retaliatory measures.
 
Macron-Poutine and Merkel-Lukashenko talks
Pressure on the Russian and Belarusian leaders has increased, with talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, as well as between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
 
Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Poutine, main ally of the Belarusian leader, have agreed on a “de-escalation” of this migration crisis, according to the Elysee. For its part, Poland announced Monday that it would begin construction of a wall along the border with Belarus in December, with a view to completing it in the first half of 2022, according to a press release from the Interior Ministry.