Ukrainian Sanctions Against Belarus (2020–present)

Ukraine has imposed its own sanctions against Belarus administered by the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) under Presidential Decree. While Ukraine and Belarus share a long common border and historically close ties, the events of 2020 and especially Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — launched in part from Belarusian territory — led Ukraine to impose comprehensive restrictive measures against the Lukashenko government and Belarusian state entities.

Legal Framework

Ukrainian sanctions are imposed by the President of Ukraine by decree, upon recommendation of the National Security and Defence Council (РНБО — Рада національної безпеки і оборони). The legal basis is the Law of Ukraine "On Sanctions" (2014), which allows for a broad range of restrictive measures including:

• Asset freezes and blocking of funds
• Restrictions on trade operations
• Restrictions on financial transactions
• Prohibition on transit through Ukrainian territory
• Visa bans and entry prohibitions
• Suspension of economic and cultural agreements

2020 — Post-Election Measures

Following the fraudulent August 2020 presidential election in Belarus and the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, Ukraine imposed targeted sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for election fraud and human rights violations. These initial measures were symbolic in nature but politically significant, given the historically close Belarus-Ukraine relationship.

2021 — Ryanair Incident

Ukraine condemned the forced diversion of Ryanair Flight FR4978 on 23 May 2021 and imposed additional sanctions on Belarusian officials involved in ordering and executing the state-sponsored hijacking. Ukrainian airspace was closed to Belarusian carriers.

2022 — Major Expansion Following Invasion

The most dramatic expansion of Ukrainian sanctions against Belarus came following 24 February 2022, when Russian forces used Belarusian territory to launch the initial assault on Kyiv. Ukraine imposed sweeping measures targeting:

• The entire Belarusian leadership and government apparatus
• Belarusian military commanders and units involved in facilitating Russian operations
• State-owned enterprises providing logistical support to Russian forces
• Belarusian banks and financial institutions
• Major Belarusian industrial companies, including the potash sector

Ukraine also imposed a comprehensive ban on transit of Russian and Belarusian goods through Ukrainian territory, and suspended virtually all bilateral economic cooperation agreements with Belarus.

Ongoing Measures

Ukraine has continued to expand and update its sanctions against Belarus in subsequent years, with new designation rounds typically linked to documented instances of Belarusian logistical support for Russian military operations, including the transit of equipment, ammunition and personnel.

Scale

By 2024, Ukraine's Belarus sanctions list included hundreds of Belarusian individuals and dozens of entities, making it one of the largest Belarus-specific designations lists of any single country — reflecting the direct threat posed to Ukrainian security by Belarus's role as a co-belligerent in the war.