The European Union has approved the 18th package of sanctions: The dictators' hopes for Europe's weakness have not materialized — Europe is showing strength.

Pavel Pavlovich Latushko: Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Ambassador

Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management Pavel Latushka on the Introduction of the EU’s 18th Sanctions Package

“The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date,” said Kaja Kallas, head of the European External Action Service, today.

The new sanctions will target 105 vessels of the so-called “shadow fleet". Additional restrictions will affect the Nord Stream infrastructure and banks involved in circumventing sanctions. The price cap on Russian oil will be lowered from $60 to $47.6 per barrel, and this cap will be reviewed every six months to adapt to market conditions.

The package also introduces further harmonization of sanctions between those imposed on the Lukashenko regime and on Russia. The previous ban on specialized financial messaging services (such as SWIFT) has been replaced by a full transaction ban, including the closure of correspondent accounts. An embargo on the import of weapons from Belarus has also been introduced.

“The United Transitional Cabinet and the National Anti-Crisis Management have long pointed out that the Belarusian banking system is involved in circumventing sanctions. We have emphasized that simply disconnecting banks from SWIFT is not enough—correspondent accounts of Belarusian banks facilitating aggression must be closed. Our position has been heard by the EU. These measures are included in the new sanctions package.

The 18th sanctions package aims to reduce the revenues of the Russian budget, which will affect the capacity to export Belarusian goods to the Russian market and limit the Lukashenko regime’s ability to rely on financial support to continue its internal repressive and external aggressive policies. Belarusian financial institutions that facilitate sanctions evasion and aggression are now also subject to EU sanctions.

Europe has not forgotten the Lukashenko regime’s complicity in the aggression against Ukraine. The 18th package of sanctions against Russia has added several enterprises from Belarus' military-industrial complex to the list of sanctioned entities.

As a member of the United Transitional Cabinet, I express my gratitude to the European Union for its consistency and principled stance.

The dictators’ hopes for Europe’s weakness have failed—Europe is demonstrating strength.

It is crucial to continue increasing the pressure, using mechanisms that effectively target the financial and military machinery of dictatorial regimes," commented Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, on the EU’s adoption of the 18th sanctions package.

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