Minsk to impose sanctions against Ukrainian officials
Minsk has prepared sanctions against a number of Ukrainian officials, said Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, BelTA reports.
Makei called Ukraine's joining the EU sanctions against Belarus an "unfriendly step."
"We cannot loot at this step as anything other than an absolutely unfriendly step and an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus," Makei said.
According to him, Kyiv's decision demonstrates the inconsistency of Ukraine’s policy. "We see this as a mockery of common sense," the minister said.
According to him, Minsk has prepared a sanctions list of Ukrainian officials.
"At the initial stage, we also prepared an appropriate sanctions list against a number of Ukrainian officials. We will continue to monitor how events develop. We will not leave unanswered any of Ukraine's actions against the Belarusian state," Makei said.
On November 20, seven EU partner countries, including Ukraine, joined the sanctions against the Belarusian authorities imposed in connection with "election fraud and human rights violations."
In response, Minsk decided to include representatives of the leadership of the European Union and a number of European countries in the sanctions lists and suspend the dialogue with the EU on human rights.
Protests have been continuing in Belarus since August over the results of the elections, according to which Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner. Protesters insist that the results were falsified.
The EU has already imposed two rounds of sanctions against Belarusian officials. The so-called blacklist includes 55 representatives of the country's leadership, in particular Alexander Lukashenko and the security forces. They are banned from entering the EU and their European bank accounts will be frozen if found.
Ukraine, as well as the EU and the United States, did not recognize the results of the elections as honest and reflecting the real will of the country’s citizens.