MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. The European Union’s sanctions against Belarus harm the economies of its member states, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

She drew attention to the fact that Lithuanians had admitted that the anti-Belarusian sanctions were harmful for the Lithuanian economy, causing losses to the country’s ports and railways.

"It looks like Europe, Lithuania in particular, is too absorbed in its struggle with the ‘regime’ and, in the heat of political passions, is not any longer counting casualties from ‘friendly fire,’" said on her Telegram channel.

Anti-Belarusian sanctions

A number of European countries and the United States do not recognize the results of the August 2020 presidential elections in Belarus and condemn the country’s law enforcers for excessive measures in curbing protests. Against this backdrop, the West continues to impose sanctions and other restrictions against Belarus. A new package of the European Union’s sectoral sanctions came into effect from June 25. This is the first time in history that economic restrictions were leveled against Belarus. The European Union banned the import of potassium chloride used mostly to manufacture fertilizers and petrochemical products, except gasoline and diesel fuel, from Belarus. It has also banned exports to Belarus of ingredients for the tobacco industry, technologies and software for internet control, and double use vehicles that can be used by the army or police. European investors have been banned loans to Belarusian state structures, companies and banks with the state participation of more than 50% for a term of more than three months.

Previously, the European Union imposed four packages of individual sanctions targeting 166 Belarusian individuals and 15 legal entities, including such industrial giants as MAZ and BelAZ. Blacklisted individuals are banned from entering the European Union and denied access to European financial markets. European businesses cannot maintain any economic ties with Belarusian legal entities.

Apart from that, EU countries are no longer flying over Belarus’ territory and have banned Belarusian air carriers from flying into the EU’s airspace.

Minsk slams these sanctions as short-sighted, detrimental and an attempt at interference in Belarus’ domestic affairs.