Belarusian PM Roman Golovchenko says Western sanctions are blocking exports worth more than $16 billion

Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko has said that the sanctions imposed by the West on the country for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine have blocked exports worth more than $16 billion.

Belarus, which was previously a part of the Soviet Union, provided a safe haven to Russian soldiers to launch attacks on Ukraine.

Minsk also gave up its non-nuclear status and will host Russia's nuclear weapons and troops permanently.

In an interview with the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, Golovchenko said "Because of the sanctions, almost all of Belarus's exports to the countries of the European Union and North America have been blocked."

Calling it unfair to label Belarus as "an accomplice of the aggressor," President Alexander Lukashenko has said that he is trying to resolve the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin called his attack on Ukraine a "special military operation" designed to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour but the West and Ukraine have slammed the baseless, fascist allegation adding that the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.

After the imposition of crippling Western sanctions over his crackdown on domestic protests and interception of the Ryanair plane flying between Athens and Vilnius, Lukashenko has edged even closer to Russia for financial aid and stronger military cooperation.

The Belarusian leader had previously accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of “pushing the world to the brink of World War III.”

According to Stanislav Sushkevich, Belarus’ first post-Soviet leader, “Lukashenko is depriving Belarus of its future and turning the country into a staging ground for Putin’s mad games.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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