Belarus targeted with dozens of U.S. sanctions

The U.S. administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on dozens of Belarusian individuals and entities in response to Minsk allowing the country to be a staging ground for Russia’s operation in Ukraine.

The sanctions target 24 individuals and Belarusian entities largely in the defense sector and financial institutions that have especially close ties to Russia, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The designations announced Thursday build on five previous Belarus-related sanctions tranches imposed by the U.S. and allies in response to a fraudulent power grab by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko after the 2020 elections and imposing a violent crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in the country.