The EU has taken its first steps towards imposing sanctions on Belarusian officials who have been cracking down on thousands of citizens protesting last week’s elections following an emergency session on Friday.
Sanctions such as visa bans and the freezing of assets are likely to be imposed at the end of the month, following the handling of protests by the Belarusian government. Protesting began after the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko caused intense backlash following accusations of electoral fraud.
The proposed sanctions would requires unanimity of all 27 EU member states, however countries such as Hungary have expressed skepticism of the sanctions. Other member countries, such as Germany, Lithuania, and Latvia, have spoken in favor of the restrictions. The EU first imposed sanctions on Belarus in 2004 under similar circumstances, with the restrictions being relaxed in 2016.
