US slaps sanctions on Belarus officials in coordination with EU

US slaps sanctions on Belarus officials in coordination with EU

WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday imposed sanctions on dozens of Belarusian officials in a coordinated move with Western allies to hit strongman Alexander Lukashenko after the forced landing of a commercial plane. "These coordinated designations demonstrate the steadfast transatlantic commitment to supporting the Belarusian people's democratic aspirations,“ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The Treasury Department said it was freezing any US assets and barring any transactions with 16 individuals and five entities including Lukashenko's press secretary, Natallia Mikalaeuna Eismant. The State Department said it was also banning travel to the United States by 46 Belarusian officials.

The United States already imposed a slew of sanctions on Belarusian state-owned companies in May after authorities forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk by alleging a bomb threat and arrested a passenger, 26-year-old opposition journalist and activist Roman Protasevich. The latest sanctions were taken in coordination with the European Union, Britain and Canada.

The EU yesterday put seven Belarusian officials, including the ministers of defense and transport to an asset freeze and visa ban blacklist over the forced landing of a Ryanair plane. The bloc also added a further 71 individuals-including Russian tycoon Mikhail Gutseriyev, Lukashenko's son Dmitry and daughter-in-law Liliya-for