The European Union has begun preparing its 20th sanctions package against Russia. Among other measures, the EU is considering sanctions targeting Russia’s ally in Belarus, APA reports citing Delfi.
The preparation of the 20th package was discussed on November 8 by Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, Lithuanian Minister of Finance, and Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union.
The new sanctions will target not only Russia but also Belarus, allied with Moscow. Lithuania’s finance minister specifically urged the EU to focus on Minsk during the drafting of the new sanctions package.
It has been proposed to align sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime with the current restrictions imposed on Russia. New measures are also under consideration, though the process remains in its early stages.
Albuquerque said that the EU is working with third countries, as some of them were helping to circumvent sanctions.