EU Imposes Sanctions Against Belarus | 26 May 2021

Why in News

Recently, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions against Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc EU.

Key Points

• Background of Belarus’ Polity:
  
  • Europe's longest-serving ruler, President of Belarus Lukashenko took office in 1994 amid the chaos caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
  • Often described as Europe's "last dictator", he has tried to preserve elements of Soviet communism.
    
    • He has been in power for 26 years, keeping much of the economy in state hands, and using censorship and police crackdowns against opponents.
  • In 2020, after Lukashenko was announced as the winner in elections, protests broke out in the capital, Minsk which was met with a violent security crackdown.
    
    • There has been widespread anger against the government over a stagnant economy and doubts about the fairness of the election.
• Previous Sanctions:
  
  • In response to the violent crackdown, the EU and the United States (US) imposed several rounds of financial sanctions against Belarus in 2020.
  • The US also imposed travel restrictions and targeted financial sanctions on nine state-owned entities and 16 individuals, including President Lukashenko. First imposed in 2006, these were tightened in 2008.
  • The EU first introduced restrictive measures against Belarus in 2004, following the disappearance of two opposition politicians, a journalist and a businessman several years earlier.
• Reason for Recent Sanctions:
  
  • Belarus forcely diverted a passenger jet and scrambled a warplane to arrest an opposition journalist in an act denounced by Western powers as “state piracy” (an act of piracy where the state is involved).
• Steps Taken by EU:
  
  • Restrictions on Airspace:
    
    • Called for Belarusian airlines to be banned from the 27-nation bloc’s airspace and urged EU-based carriers to avoid flying over the former Soviet republic.
  • Investigation into Forced Plane Diversion:
    
    • Agreed to widen the list of Belarusian individuals they already sanction and called on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to urgently investigate Belarus forcing a Ryanair plane to land in Minsk on a Greece-Lithuania flight.
    • It also called for the release of the journalist who was detained.
  • Sanctions on Individuals and Businesses:
    
    • Since October 2020, the EU has progressively been restricting more and more key political figures with measures like travel bans and asset freezes.
    • With the recent incident, the bloc decided to add even more targets to its sanction list of 88 individuals and seven entities.
  • Billion-Euro Economic Package:
    
    • The EU had a 3 billion Euro investment package ready for Belarus that it will now freeze until the country turns democratic.
• Implications:
  
  • Belarus lies on the flight path of routes within Europe and between Europe and Asia. Skirting Belarus would slow flights down and cost airlines money.
  • Belarus receives income from airlines that enter its airspace of up to 70,000 Euro each day, losing this amount of money would be an inconvenience but not have a significant impact on the economy of Belarus.

Way Forward

• The President of Belarus should ensure the formation of a legitimate government that could address the country’s vital problems.
• He has to reach out to the Opposition and offer talks to find a peaceful settlement to the crisis.

Source:TH