Belarusian FM says EU has "gone too far" with sanctions

European Union sanctions against Belarus and Russia are hurting the West more than their intended targets by isolating the bloc itself, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov has said, noting that they have already “gone too far with the sanctions.”

Ryzhenkov told reporters that "with every new package of sanctions, it is the European Union and its citizens who suffer the most," Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He argued that Belarus has adapted to the restrictions more easily.

"We have Russia, the vast expanse of Eurasia, Africa—together we are building a space of stability, security and cooperation," the minister added.

Ryzhenkov stressed that Belarusian goods can be exported through Russian ports instead of Baltic ports in the EU.

"In general, the European Union has gone too far with these sanctions. We can all see how the people of the European Union themselves are suffering because they have become cut off from markets, no longer have access to cheap and reliable energy resources that were previously supplied, flights have been disrupted, and transport and logistics chains have become more complicated for the EU," he remarked.

According to him, it is also clear to countries including China, India, East Asian nations, Iran, the Middle East and Africa which side is bearing the greater cost of the sanctions.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov