UK imposes fresh sanctions on Belarus

LONDON

The UK government on Thursday said it imposed fresh sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The new measures include a prohibition on importing gold, cement, wood, and rubber from Belarus, as these commodities serve as “significant sources of revenue” for Belarus, a UK government statement said.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "This new package ratchets up the economic pressure on Lukashenko and his regime which actively facilitates the Russian war effort and ignores Ukraine’s territorial integrity."

"Our support for Ukraine will remain resolute for as long as it takes and the UK will not hesitate to introduce further measures against those who prop up (Russian President (Vladimir) Putin’s war," he added.

The UK is also blocking exports to Belarus from the UK of banknotes and machinery, along with goods, technologies and materials that could be used to create chemical and biological weapons.

“This latest package builds upon the significant sanctions against Belarus already in place, including last year banning the import and export of goods worth around £60 million for the regime’s active support of Putin’s war,” the statement said.