The Council of the European Union on Thursday approved "further targeted restrictive measures arising from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and in response to Belarus's involvement in the aggression," according to a statement by the European Commission.
"In particular, the new measures create a closer alignment of EU sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus and will help to ensure that Russian sanctions cannot be circumvented through Belarus," the EU executive said.
It added that the measures "expand the ban on exports to Belarus to a number of highly sensitive goods and technologies which contribute to Belarus's military and technological enhancement."
The EU also imposed an additional export ban on firearms and ammunition, and on goods and technology suited for use in aviation and the space industry, according to the statement.
"The changes also align the Belarus sanctions with the Russia sanctions regime," the European Commission said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was "taking further measures against the Belarusian regime as an accomplice in Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine," Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 527 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: ukrinform.net, PAP, ec.europa.eu/consilium.europa.eu