Belarus decries sanctions US reimposed on 9 state companies

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus’ Foreign Ministry has expressed regret over sanctions the United States reimposed on nine state-owned companies in the ex-Soviet country, citing human rights violations. Belarus has become a target of Western sanctions after authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko won his sixth term in office in a widely disputed election in August and unleashed a harsh crackdown on subsequent mass protests that demanded he steps down. On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it was revoking a license that has allowed transactions with nine sanctioned state-owned companies in Belarus since 2015. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that the move is “effectively aimed at impairing the material well-being of Belarusian citizens.”