EU sanctions against Minsk are politically motivated, destabilizing and counterproductive, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The European Union and the United States on Monday announced the introduction of new travel and financial sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 157 other state and government officials in response to December's flawed elections and a brutal clampdown on opposition leaders and protesters.
"Russia's position is that Belarus as a sovereign European state be broadly involved in international cooperation processes," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
"In this strategic context, the application of politically motivated unilateral sanctions against Belarus, designed to disrupt socio-economic stability in the country, will be counterproductive."
MOSCOW, February 1 (RIA Novosti)
