EU approves new sanctions on Belarus - What impact will they have? | DW News

00:00 New EU sanctions follow forced grounding of airliner
The EU has approved new sanctions against Belarus — ratcheting up the pressure on its leader after the forced landing of a plane.
The measures hit over 80 people and organizations with asset freezes and travel bans. The EU is also eyeing more wide-reaching sanctions that would target whole sectors of Belarus' economy, including its tobacco industry — hurting major revenue sources for Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.

03:24 DW study: Have sanctions on Belarus had an impact on
Lukashenko's rule?
A DW analysis — which used freedom of the press and freedom of speech among other parameters to measure Belarusian democracy — has found little positive change since they were introduced. The recent mass protests may have had some positive effect on democratic participation. But those gains have been short-lived with little sign that two decades of sanctions have encouraged democratic development in Belarus.

07:21 How Belarus' KGB is helping to keep Lukashenko in power
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has managed to maintain his firm grip on power, despite major protests within the country and international pressure. Helping to keep him there is the country’s secret service — and the climate of fear they’ve created.

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[ishmaelwatson]

I guess no one will sanction the Saudi Arabia for what is happening to the yemani people.

[trous_xide]

People here saying that sanctions don't work - sanctions are not against other states, embargos are against other states. Sanctions are meant to signal to Western companies not to do business with said countries, that's it. They are working perfectly fine if you look at the Russian rub(b)le and its economy - it is a slow bleed leading into a recession instead of a big sudden hit, that's what makes it effective. It kills your enemies without them realizing they're dying.

[Pining_for_the_fjords]

8:47 _"I'm not saying I like him, but I don't see who else I could vote for."_

Maybe that's because all Lukashenko's political opponents are either in prison or in exile.

[alexs]

From the preview photo, he looks like a gulag director in Stalin's time.

[razbijacumova]

Срби су уз вас браћо Белоруси.
Имате нашу подршку.

🇷🇸🤝🇧🇾

[fidalikhon]

*Free Julian Assange, free Chelsea Manning, freedom for Edward Snowden before talking about freedom of other countries*

[mybrandnewlogin]

Those who support Belarus do not use the regime flag like you just did.

[yaarghmaargh]

I guess some people just want a daddy to tell them what to do.

[wasimkhan-icuj]

Alexander reporting against Alexander =she or he

[Aprilium]

I remember Eu politicians making an australian wine ad saying china shouldn't use sanctions against australia as they were "unfair".
Why sanction Belarus knowing very well you'll hurt the average Belarusian more than the government.
Western countries practice imperialism abroad but democracy at home!

[Earth]

Economic sanctions always hurt general public, more than the rulers. And Those who put economic sanction clearly know that, but willingly ignore that fact.

[duncanstewart]

When they go to the bank their accounts are frozen.

[e-vl]

"What impact will they have?" None whatsoever. The EU has no power to pressure Belarus to do anything. The journalist will not be released and the sanctions have already failed to achieve anything.

[victory]

Not because he is guilty, just is not at the US side like the Saudi

[vsevolodsolovyev]

Imagine if putin was to say “we declare sanctions on the eu for undermining dictatorship”

[mukulutudu]

What the people make sanctions on countries? Where they get a legitimate? Who are they?

[nathanl]

The Belarus president looks like that one uncle from the military 😂

[cybourne]

So after US, it is the EU dishing out one sanction after the other? What happens if it is the US or the EU that deserves sanctions? This will make EU especially vulnerable because it is hard to unite different countries if the council has no respect of justice or truth.

[BenMeddeb]

Can always turn potatoes into some moonshine, never looses its value!

[cocobrez]

Sanction only hurts the people not the leaders of the country, But I don't really know.