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In light of the human rights violations in Belarus, the EU continues to discuss sanctions against the Minsk regime. It is true that the foreign ministers of the member states had already decided in principle punitive measures against those responsible in August. Meanwhile, there is also a list of 40 people who should be blocked from entering the country and accounts blocked. But EU member Cyprus is blocking the unanimous decision needed to put the sanctions into effect.
“Our response to violations of our fundamental values and principles cannot be à la carte, it has to be consistent,” Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis said on the sidelines of the discussions in Brussels. This applies to the reaction to human rights violations and the reaction to the violation of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Member States.
Christodoulidis alluded to the fact that some EU states are currently refusing to accept the sanctions demanded by Cyprus against Turkey. He does not see “any diplomatic blockade” on the Belarus issue and is willing to implement the decisions made by the EU foreign ministers in August. From Cyprus’ perspective, these include imposing punitive measures against Turkey at the same time.
The small EU country has long been asking its partners to react more harshly to Turkish gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean that it considers illegal. However, other EU countries are of the opinion that this could hamper ongoing mediation efforts between countries such as Germany and Turkey. Therefore, they want to wait before accepting new sanctions against Ankara.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius demanded that the EU’s words be followed by actions. She hoped that individual member states “will not take the EU hostage,” she said. Now is “really the time to act.”
The chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, David McAllister, called the combination of the Belarusian and Turkish sanctions “unfortunate”. A decision on Belarus is “overdue, sanctions must finally be decided,” “Morgenmagazin” told the ZDF. He expected “the ministers to shake up today.”
However, discussions in Brussels on Monday did not bring any progress. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto later announced that it was very frustrating that the EU sanctions had not yet been adopted. Therefore, Finland is also ready to renounce the EU principle of unanimity when deciding on sanctions.
Maas wants to talk about personal sanctions against Lukashenko
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said about the conflict between Turkey and EU members Cyprus and Greece that there could only be a diplomatic solution. He sees a “diplomatic window” for talks with Turkey until the euro summit at the end of the week, which should be used.
Meanwhile, Maas also called for talks on whether Lukashenko himself would be included on the EU sanctions list. “Lukashenko’s violence against peaceful protesters is completely unacceptable,” said the federal foreign minister. Therefore, the EU must ask itself if Lukashenko, who is the main responsible, “should also be sanctioned by the European Union”.
Before their meeting in Brussels, the EU foreign ministers met with the Belarusian opposition leader, Svetlana Tichanovskaya. The EU Foreign Affairs representative, Josep Borrell, went on to say that the ministers were “really impressed by the courage and perseverance” of the Belarusian people, and especially of women. They showed a “true sense of leadership”.
The opposition in Belarus accuses the government of massive fraud in the August 9 presidential election, which incumbent Lukashenko is said to have won with 80 percent of the vote, according to official information. Since the elections, there have been violent protests against the president, who has been in an authoritarian regime for 26 years. Security forces use force against protesters. Many opposition politicians are in detention or have had to leave the country.
