Ukraine threatens Belarus with sanctions over export of goods to separatist-held territories of Donbas
According to Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Igor Kizim, Belarusian companies supplying products to the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic) will be sanctioned.
Belorusskie Novosti newspaper’s correspondent asked Kizim about the position of Ukrainian authorities regarding the deliveries of Belarusian products to the uncontrolled territories, while noting that Belarusian producers "sometimes do not hide that they directly work with Donetsk and Luhansk or supply goods to the Crimea."
The ambassador replied, "The issue is also ambiguous, because the presence of Belarusian goods on the shelves in shops in temporarily uncontrolled territories does not always mean direct deliveries. Sometimes Belarusian goods get there through intermediaries who buy them from Russian companies. We warn our Belarusian counterparts officially: if the Belarusian companies directly deliver products to separatists, sanctions will be imposed against them, and not only by Ukraine. We will try to do everything so that these sanctions would be introduced by the European Union also," the ambassador said.
"It should be understood that not only diplomats work; special services work also. And in case the relevant data is found, the Ukrainian market will be closed to such companies, with a 100% probability. Recently, Belsat TV published an investigation into the deliveries. For example, Kommunarka admitted that it works directly with Donetsk," Kizim added.
According to the ambassador, in case of confirmation of this data, Kommunarka will definitely be added to the black list and will be unable to deliver products to the territory of Ukraine.
In a related move, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko recently guaranteed Ukraine security from the north, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the day before.