US sanctions Belarusian president Lukashenko and more Russian officials

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The United States has levied new sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his wife for “gross violations of human rights and significant corruption” as well as 11 Russian defence officials for human rights abuses committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Both Mr Lukashenko and his wife Halina are now barred from entering the US. Additionally, their property and interests in the US, should they hold any, are now blocked, and Americans are prohibited from doing any business with them.

The announcement was made on Tuesday morning by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"Today's designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights," said the office’s director Andrea Gacki. "We condemn Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine."

Tuesday’s decision blocks all American business with any entities controlled by the president and first lady. The move also targeted a number of individuals involved in the Russian government effort to crack down on Memorial, the country’s oldest human rights organisation.

Of Mr Lukashenko, the Treasury Department says that the Belarusian leader “has used his authorities to grant unique privileges and advantages to his associates that could only be offered by the Belarusian state” including access to government assets and permission to smuggle certain goods into the country.

The agency’s sanctioning of Mr Lukashenko’s wife is somewhat significant as well due to media reports indicating that she has been estranged from her husband, living separately, for years.

Belarus has emerged as a critically important ally of the Kremlin amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the nation borders both countries and has served as a staging area for Russian troops prior to their incursion into Ukrainian territory.

The Belarusian government has long been criticised by the West as corrupt and Mr Lukashenko himself has been in power for decades resulting from elections that have not been recognised as fair and open by the United States, the UK, and other Nato-aligned western powers.

The West has responded to the Russian invasion (and Belarus’ tacit support of it) with a series of withering economic measures targeting Russia’s economy and ability to do business with the rest of the world. Those sanctions have spread to a lesser degree to Belarus as well, and would likely be greatly expanded were the Belarusian military to officially join the fight on Moscow’s side.

News reports this week indicated that US officials also believe Russia is soliciting its neighboring superpower China for both military and economic aid, and that China’s government is prepared to facilitate some aid. Those beliefs led to stern warnings directed at Beijing this week from the White House and State Department, which warned that it would not tolerate any country’s efforts to help Moscow “compensate” for losses stemming from its invasion or the subsequent economic backlash it currently faces.