EU Ramps up Sanctions on Belarus’ Lukashenko in Wake of Forced Ryanair Plane Landing

EU Ramps up Sanctions on Belarus’ Lukashenko in Wake of Forced Ryanair Plane Landing

The European Union will place sanctions on more than a dozen Belarusian officials and organizations, in addition to a series of economic actions designed to damage President Alexander Lukashenko and his allies, foreign ministers agreed Monday.

The measures have targeted people accused of electoral misconduct and responsibility for the police crackdown that followed, the Associated Press reported.

The EU has taken a tougher approach since Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane carrying a dissident to land in Minsk in May. Officials also cite the country's alleged use of migrants to pressure neighboring Lithuania, which has acted as a refuge to critics of Lukashenko.