The expert assessed the new Ukrainian sanctions against Belarus

Ukraine's sanctions against Belarus are unlikely to be painful for Minsk. This was stated by Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, in an interview with Izvestia.

They came to a consensus: the EU permanent representatives approved the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions and a new loan to Ukraine

Earlier, Hungary and Slovakia blocked the adoption of the proposals.

"Belarus is Russia's closest ally, which is why new restrictions have been imposed on it. All this is somewhat frivolous, because Kiev's sanctions apply only on the territory of Ukraine, hardly anyone cares about them outside its borders. That is, we are not talking about some kind of diplomatic or economic damage, but about a kind of political gesture," he said.

The expert added that he does not expect a large-scale escalation between the two countries, because Kiev is already in a difficult situation.

Earlier it became known that Ukraine imposed sanctions against 11 Belarusian legal entities, including several industrial enterprises. 16 citizens of the country were also subject to restrictions, including the eldest sons of Alexander Lukashenko and former Secretary of the Security Council Viktor Sheiman.

In February, Vladimir Zelensky imposed personal sanctions against the Belarusian president. The restrictions provide for a ban on financial transactions and entry into Ukraine, the blocking of assets, the cessation of trade and transit, etc.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

Sons and Sheiman: Ukraine has imposed new sanctions against Belarus