MFA denies reports of Kyiv's request not to include Belarus in latest EU sanctions packages

The ministry's spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"Reports by some media about Ukraine's alleged request not to include Belarus in the latest EU sanctions packages are not true," Nikolenko said.

He also recalled that a number of personal sanctions (the Lukashenko regime, the military command, propagandists, 25 government bodies and companies of the Belarusian military industry, including the Ministry of Defense and the State Security Committee, as well as eight Belarusian companies) and sectoral sanctions (the central bank and four other Belarusian banks, a ban on the supply of dual-purpose goods, services, deposits, euros, fertilizers, as well as a ban on the activity of cargo operators) had been imposed on Belarus for supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Nikolenko added that instead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is aware of the discussion between the EU member states of the issue of further synchronization of sanctions imposed on Russia. "At the same time, according to our information, there is currently no consensus within the European Union," he said.

The diplomat noted that Ukraine and its partners are now actively working for the most meaningful implementation of the tenth EU sanctions package, the adoption of which is long overdue.

On January 12, media reports said that one of the reasons why Belarus was not sanctioned together with Russia in the latest EU packages was the fact that Ukraine allegedly requested this.