Belarus opposition group urges EU to maintain sanctions on Belarus state companies

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A member of the Belarus opposition movement is calling on the European Union to maintain sanctions against a Belarusian state fertilizer producer. Pavel Latushka argued Monday that lifting sanctions would generate $1.5 billion in profits for Alexander Lukashenko’s regime while supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. Latushka is a former Belarusian minister of culture who is now in exile in Poland. He said the EU might be tempted to lift sanctions against Belaruskali, a producer of potash, a type of fertilizer. Latushka heads an opposition group, the National Anti-Crisis Management, which has been documenting what it alleges is Lukashenko’s participation in a scheme to deport Ukrainian orphans to camps in Belarus.