Belarus opposition calls on EU to close sanctions ‘loopholes’

Aide to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says limited measures will embolden Alexander Lukashenko's regime

An aide to the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on the EU to close loopholes" in its sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

The EU approved sanctions last week targeting industries that bankroll the regime to punish the Belarusian president over the forced landing of a Ryanair flight to arrest a dissident, but promises to make it run dry" have been called into question after it emerged that they apply only to about 15% of Belarusian potash exports to the bloc.