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Cyprus and Greece have long called for a stronger EU response to Turkey’s exploration for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean, which it considers illegal. However, other EU countries believe this may hamper ongoing mediation efforts and therefore want to wait.
The behavior of Cyprus is very unpleasant for Brussels, as it has recently been announced several times that new sanctions against Belarus will soon come into force. Through punitive measures, the EU wants to put pressure on the country’s leaders and show solidarity with the people.
In Belarus, protests and strikes against President Lukashenko, who has been authoritarian for 26 years, have continued since the August 9 elections.
Under current plans, the EU would impose sanctions on dozens of people accused of contributing to the falsification of electoral results or the violent repression of peaceful protests. However, Mr. Lukashenko himself is not yet on the list.
The Cypriot mission to the EU does not comment on its blockade. However, Foreign Minister Nicosia Christodoulidis implicitly threatened a veto at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in late August. “We do not want double standards,” she said, commenting on whether her country would support sanctions against Belarus if there were no sanctions against Turkey.
“Initially we agreed on 14 surnames, but many countries thought that was not enough. Now we have reached an agreement on another 17,” said an EU diplomat.
“These are officials responsible for elections, violence and repression,” an EU diplomat was quoted as saying by Reuters on Monday.
At a meeting in Berlin late last month, EU foreign ministers approved sanctions – EU travel bans and assets freezes – but did not decide exactly who.
On Monday, as the crackdown on the opposition in Belarus continued, the European Commission said EU sanctions would be imposed very soon, but did not provide information on when exactly it will happen.
“There is political will and determination to impose (sanctions) as soon as possible,” the EU spokesman said.
“The question is not if or when,” he continued.
Last week it was announced that Lukashenko would not be included in the European Union sanctions list, mainly due to the position of Germany, but also of France and Italy.
The Welt newspaper reported this on Friday, citing its sources.
According to the publication, Berlin, Paris and Rome affirmed that “despite all the circumstances, the communication channels with Mr. Lukashenko must be kept open”, as they believe that his inclusion in the black list would mean the complete end of the dialogue with Minsk . Mr. Lukashenko is called first of all by the Baltic states and Poland.
In Belarus on August 9. Presidential elections were held in which 80.1 percent. A. Lukashenko, who ruled the country for 26 years, received votes. According to official figures, opposition spokeswoman Sviatlana Cichanouskaya ranked second with 10.12 percent. votes, but did not acknowledge the results. S. Cichanouskaja herself left Belarus on the night of August 11 for her safety and is currently in Lithuania.
The rigged elections in the country have unleashed a wave of protests that so far has not abated. The protests were violently repressed by the authorities, several people died, thousands were arrested and torture was reported in detention centers.
Pompeo is considering sanctions
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday condemned Belarus’ attempts to topple opposition leaders and said Washington was considering new sanctions.
Pompeo said the United States was “very concerned” by Monday’s actions against one of Belarus’ most prominent opposition figures, Mary Kalesnikava, and praised “her bravery.”
“The United States, in coordination with its partners and allies, is considering additional specific sanctions to increase accountability for those involved in human rights abuses and repression in Belarus,” the secretary of state said in a statement.
Belarusian border guards said that Ms Kalesnikava was trying to flee the country, but two comrades with her said officials wanted to forcibly expel her to Ukraine and that she tore her passport and jumped out of the car window to stay in Belarus.
“We remind the Belarusian authorities to ensure their accountability to Mr. Kalesnikava’s safety and all those unjustly detained,” Pompeo said.
“We call on the Belarusian authorities to end the violence against their people, to release all those unjustly detained, including the US citizen Vitaly Škliarov, and to enter into a meaningful dialogue with genuine members of Belarusian society,” he said.
Shkliarov is a Washington-based political analyst who was arrested while on a trip to his native Belarus and charged with aiding in a mass unrest conspiracy. He himself denies the accusation.
He is a visiting professor at Harvard University and has worked for US Senator Bernie Sanders in the presidential campaign.
The Belarusian militia is intensifying its campaign against the opposition. More than 600 people were arrested on Sunday during the latest mass protest against the authoritarian rule of Aliaksandr Lukashenko.
Moscow’s ally Lukashenko faces the greatest challenge to his 26-year term after the disputed August 9 elections.
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