U.S. Sanctions Will Hurt Cockroach

• 5.04.2021, 9:05

A separate package of Polish sanctions may come.

Coordinator of the Foreign Policy of Belarus program of the Council on Foreign Relations Minsk Dialogue Denis Melyantsov told Salidarnasts about possible actions of the West against the official Minsk.

- The U.S. has warned the official Minsk about the activation of sanctions against Belteftekhim and its companies if all political prisoners are not released within a month.

- Most likely, the sanctions will be unfrozen; the political prisoners will remain in prisons and serve as an object of bargaining, as it happened before between Belarus and the West.

- What consequences will the renewal of sanctions against Belneftekhim bear?

- Obviously, U.S. sanctions will be much more painful than the EU ones. The EU has imposed personal sanctions and restrictions on some companies that, by and large, do not interact with the West and do not sell their products there.

It is a striking difference compared to the sanctions the U.S. will impose again. A significant part of the Belarusian petrochemical industry goes to the West, bringing hard currency to the budget. Naturally, these sanctions will hit the Belarusian economy harder.

There is another eye-catching nuance: the U.S. sanctions affect not only Belneftekhim, Grodno Azot, Lakokraska and other companies. The U.S. and not only American companies, cooperating with these companies, will also fall under sanctions. Belarus risks remaining only with Russian partners in this part.

- What further steps may Poland take concerning Lukashenka's regime?

- A separate Polish package of sanctions may come. As, for example, the Baltic States did and adopted an expanded package. Given an active trade turnover between Poland and Belarus, certain restrictions may be introduced here as well.

Warsaw can also pursue a unilateral sanctions policy and influence the EU policy towards Belarus. Poland has more authority in the European Union than Lithuania.

Economists can calculate the damage to the economy of Belarus.