EU ready to impose new sanctions on Belarus, if situation deteriorates

The EU is ready to bring new sanctions against Belarus if the situation in the country - which the bloc accuses of pushing asylum seekers across its borders - continues to deteriorate, a European Commission spokesperson told Polish state news agency PAP.

Poland and Lithuania, which are members of the European Union, have reported a sharp increase in the number of migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq trying to enter their countries from Belarus this year.

The EU has accused Minsk of using the migrants as a tool to put pressure on the bloc over sanctions it imposed on Belarus after a disputed presidential election, a charge that Minsk has denied. Lithuania wants the EU to approve tougher rules on migration.

"Where necessary, the EU will continue to support the Member States affected by the actions of the Lukashenko regime," Peter Stano a Commission spokesperson said, according to the PAP report.