EU: Belarus to face new sanctions in case of direct involvement in war

January 27, BPN. Belarus must stop providing military support to Russia, and any direct involvement in the war against Ukraine will be met with “new and strong restrictive measures,” the European Union said in a statement, delivered to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on January 26.

“We urge the Belarusian authorities to refrain from any further involvement in or facilitation of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as to immediately stop allowing its territory to serve as a launchpad for attacks against Ukraine, which is an aggression in itself,” the statement reads.

The EU said Belarus should stop providing military support to Russia: “We reiterate that further actions such as, in particular, any direct involvement of the Belarusian military in Russia’s war of aggression will be met by new and strong restrictive measures.”

Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine from Belarusian territory, where it has a growing military presence. It used Belarus as a launchpad for its February 2022 offensive on Kyiv. At the same time, Belarus says its troops are not directly involved in hostilities in Ukraine.