Biden Administration Weighs New Sanctions Against Belarus

The Biden administration is thinking about a new round of economic sanctions targeting Belarus and its authoritarian leader right after a main dissident appealed to U.S. officials for more powerful U.S. action, according to individuals in meetings previous week in Washington.

The new sanctions would be in addition to punitive steps imposed by the administration before this calendar year and would aim to even further isolate the leader, Alexander Lukashenko, just about a calendar year right after he initiated a crackdown on a well-known uprising in the region, according to a Belarusian political adviser.

The administration’s deliberations occur on the heels of a go to to Washington previous week by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who opposed Mr. Lukashenko in previous year’s contested election. In meetings with lawmakers and senior administration officials, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya pressed for tougher sanctions.

Ms. Tsikhanouskaya satisfied with President Biden’s prime two overseas-policy aides, national safety adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Mr. Biden did not meet with the dissident leader.

Franak Viacorka, a senior adviser to Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, claimed State Office officials indicated their intent to enact new sanctions, precisely on the Belarusian potash and crude-oil sectors, which Ms. Tsikhanouskaya claimed are close to Mr. Lukashenko, in addition to being essential elements of the country’s economy.