U.S., allies ratchet up the economic pressure against Belarus

FILE PHOTO: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko chairs a meeting with the working group on finalizing the new Constitution draft in Minsk, Belarus November 15, 2021. Sergei Sheleg/BelTA/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and its allies, including the European Union, on Thursday imposed sanctions against dozens of individuals and entities in Belarus in a coordinated move to escalate punitive action against President Alexander Lukashenko and his government.

The latest round of sanctions aim to significantly increase pressure on Lukashenko, who is accused of rigging the presidential election last year to stay in power, ordering a massive crackdown on the opposition, and recently sending migrants to the Eastern European nation's border with the EU in an effort to manufacture a crisis for the bloc.