The head of the executive committee of the Vitebsk region of Belarus, Alexander Subotin, signed a "cooperation agreement" with the authorities of the occupation administration of Crimea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine wants to impose sanctions against him.
This was reported by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleg Nikolenko.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine initiates the procedure of imposing sanctions on Oleksandr Subotin as a person who poses a threat to the national security of Ukraine. The Embassy of Ukraine in Minsk has also been instructed to send a note of protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus," he noted.
Nikolenko emphasized that this "document" is legally void, as it contradicts Ukrainian legislation.
Belarus does not officially recognize Crimea as Russian territory, but its self-proclaimed leader Oleksandr Lukashenko has repeatedly hinted at de facto recognition. Although Lukashenko himself has not yet visited the peninsula, and Belarus does not conduct any economic activities with Crimea, in particular, Belarusian airlines do not fly there.