On December 11, Pavel Latushka met with the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions, David O'Sullivan, in Brussels. The discussions revolved around various issues related to the imposition of sanctions on the Lukashenko regime.
Pavel Latushka presented the stance of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and the National Anti-Crisis Management regarding the necessity of aligning economic sanctions against both the Lukashenko regime and Russia. The objective was to prevent the circumvention of sanctions while not easing restrictions on potash fertilizers from Belarus.
Furthermore, the option of prohibiting the transit of sanctioned goods through Belarus and Russia or implementing trade quotas on these goods with third countries at pre-war levels, prior to the adoption of major sectoral sanctions against the Lukashenko regime, was proposed.
There was also a suggestion to isolate the Financial Message Transmission System of the Bank of Russia and impose sanctions on institutions and officials of the Union State of Belarus and Russia for their involvement in the illegal movement of Ukrainian children and actions that undermine the sovereignty of Belarus.
O'Sullivan expressed support for the approach of harmonizing sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and the existing sanctions against Russia. The parties agreed that the lack of a resolution to this issue significantly hampers the effectiveness of the EU's sanctions policy. However, current obstacles prevent substantial progress in the harmonization of sanctions, and potential solutions to overcome them were discussed.
Additionally, Pavel Latushka provided O'Sullivan with the findings of the Bureau project's investigation into the evasion of sanctions on luxury cars, which had been published by independent Belarusian media on that day. Proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of sanctions were also submitted by the Belarusian Investigation Center.
Pavel Latushka also emphasized the importance of imposing sanctions on the Union State as an institution, as it contributes to increasing Belarus' dependence on Russia with the ultimate goal of incorporating Belarus into Russia.
During the meeting, Latushka initiated a discussion on implementing additional sanctions to exert pressure on the Lukashenko regime, with the primary objective of securing the release of political prisoners.
Furthermore, Latushka handed over a list containing the names of more than 200 individuals and legal entities associated with the Lukashenko regime, proposing their inclusion in the sanctions list.
It is anticipated that the upcoming EU sanctions package for aggression against Ukraine will include several military personnel and officials from the Lukashenko regime.