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The EU has compiled a list of some 40 people who will be sanctioned for their role in manipulating the presidential elections on August 9 in Belarus and suppressing protests against leader Aliaksandr Lukashenko.
The entry into force of the EU sanctions requires the approval of all 27 member states, but Nicosia refuses to say “yes” to them, arguing that the EU should first impose sanctions on Turkey for natural gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
This position of Cyprus has been criticized by some EU countries. According to the parties, refusing to accept sanctions is tantamount to defending Lukashenko, and delays in imposing sanctions hamper coordinated Western action plans.
George Kent, Deputy Under Secretary of State for European Affairs, said Washington had contacted Cyprus to urge the state to change its mind.
“We have asked them to join the consensus and allow the EU to move forward to achieve a common approach among like-minded countries,” Kent said during his visit to Brussels.
Following the failure to break the ice during the EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday, the issue of sanctions was handed over to heads of state and will be addressed at the Brussels summit.
Washington has developed its own sanctions, but would like to coordinate with the EU.
“The initial plan was to try to publish something like this this week. We hope that European leaders will clarify whether they will be able to make a decision, ”said Kent.
Kent arrived in Brussels to meet with EU officials and diplomats to discuss the crisis in Belarus. Mass protests have been organized in the country for more than a month, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, the last European dictator.
Unlike the EU, which lifted most of the sanctions against Belarus in 2016, including the sanctions against Lukashenko, the United States continues to apply some measures after focusing on the progress of human rights.
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