Leaders of the European Union have instructed the European Commission to approve restrictive tariffs on the import of agricultural products from the Russian Federation and Belarus, according to the conclusions of the European Council summit.
The European Council has called on the EU Council and the European Commission to adopt amendments as quickly as possible.
"Imposing further tariffs on certain imports into the European Union of Russian and Belarusian agricultural products, while taking into account the impact on the Single Market and ensuring that the transit of such goods to developing countries remains unaffected," the summit conclusions stated.
Sanctions against Russia and allies
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union and other partners of Kyiv are imposing sanctions on Russia and its allies aiding in aggression, with Belarus prominently among them.
Belarusian military has been conducting joint exercises with Russians since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the self-proclaimed leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, maintains open diplomatic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this week, the United States and Canada imposed new sanctions against Belarus, targeting a range of individuals and entities associated with the Lukashenko regime.
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing its 14th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation.
As previously reported, agriculture ministers of five European countries have proposed to the European Union to ban the import of grain from Russia and Belarus.
