The European Union will adopt "
in the coming days
" new sanctions against people and organizations contributing to the influx of thousands of migrants to the Polish border, orchestrated according to Westerners by Belarus, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
To read also "Seen from elsewhere" N ° 66 - The Belarusian migratory attack
“
We agreed on the adoption of a new set of sanctions (...).
It will be finalized in the coming days,
”said Josep Borrell, after a meeting of the 27 foreign ministers in Brussels.
These sanctions will affect "
a significant number
" of people and entities, he said, without specifying their number or identity.
"Hybrid aggression"
The EU accuses Minsk of having organized these migratory movements in revenge for the Western sanctions imposed on the regime of Alexander Lukashenko last year after the brutal repression of opponents. The latter denies the accusations. "
We will now be able to target those who exploit vulnerable migrants and facilitate the illegal border crossing to the EU,
" said Josep Borrel, referring to a "
hybrid aggression
" on the part of Belarus.
Minsk is "
actively
" working to bring back to their countries migrants stuck at the EU-Belarus border, for his part assured Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in power for 30 years and whose re-election in August 2020 was not recognized. by Europeans.
The European sanctions adopted following this election against officials of the Belarusian regime currently target 166 people, including Alexander Lukashenko.
They consist of an asset freeze and a ban on entry into the EU.
The EU also ended economic sanctions at the end of June, which hit the key potash, petroleum and tobacco sectors.
It also banned Belarusian companies from accessing its airspace and airports.
