EU debates extending Belarus sanctions to cut loopholes

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen attend a joint drills of armed forces, national guards, border guards and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union ambassadors on Friday are set to discuss extending sanctions to Russian ally Belarus to crack down on the circumvention of sanctions on Russia by companies routing banned products through its neighbour.

EU diplomats told Reuters that the latest discussions were intended to ensure sanctions on Belarus are aligned with those on Russia.