Sanctions

If there is one tool policymakers and lawmakers in Washington are almost always predisposed to use, it is the economic stick commonly known as sanctions.

Belarus Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakov said the agreement's suspension is a "temporary measure" and could be resolved "after relations normalize."

"The U.S. remains utterly unchanged in posing military threats and pursuing hostile policy," Kim said, "but employs more cunning ways and methods in doing so."

Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, issued a statement Friday saying that North Korea would consider officially ending the war in exchange for sanctions relief.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has criticized an amendment to a U.S. congressional bill that seeks to sanction 35 prominent Russians—including him.

"Today, the world doesn't care about 'America First' or 'America is Back,'" President Ebrahim Raisi, who was sworn in last month, said before the U.N.

"These very days illustrate what the world would look like if a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon," Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.

The Biden administration defended its decision not to impose sanctions against Germany, saying it could damage the relationship between the U.S. and Germany.

"This incident demonstrates that we must place an increased focus on character and integrity within the entire brigade," Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean Buck said.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order targeting President Alexander Lukashenko over an ongoing "assault against the democratic aspirations and human rights of the Belarusian people."

Tsimanouskaya became an international focus on Sunday when she accused Belarusian officials of removing her from the Olympics and attempting to put her on a plane back to Belarus after she criticized the team's management on social media.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the sanctions are key to transitioning from President Alexander Lukashenko's administration to one supported by pro-democracy proponents.

"The United States is taking action to promote accountability for entities and individuals that have perpetuated the suffering of the Syrian people," Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

The White House said sanctions were placed Thursday on the regime "for their role in facilitating the repression of peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba."

"We are going to focus on applying hard-hitting sanctions on regime officials responsible for the brutal crackdown," State Department official Julie Chung said.

"Don't hesitate in putting sanctions on the cronies of the regime, on the wallet of the regime, to stop this violence as soon as possible," Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.

In the wake of the G7 summit it appears that President Joe Biden is taking steps to join together with fellow democracies to stand up to China.

"The military's suppression of democracy and campaign of brutal violence against the people of Burma are unacceptable," said the Treasury Department in announcing the sanctions.

"We note with deep regret that the forced suspension of the agreement will have a negative impact on cooperation with the EU in the field of combating illegal migration and organized crime," Belarus' Foreign Ministry said.

"It's about time European politicians realized that pressure and sanctions are not a language one should use with Belarus," said Belarus' Foreign Ministry.

The Belarusian ministry also warned it would take retaliatory measures against Western companies.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko warned the European Union on Tuesday night that Belarus would no longer protect neighboring states Lithuania, Latvia and Poland from immigrants illegally passing through the borders.

EU sanctions against Lukashenko, also known as Europe's last dictator, have gradually increased since Lukashenko won a sixth term in the country's 2020 elections, the results of which the EU says were fraudulent.

"The time has come for the other sides to make decisions," said Abbas Araqchi on Sunday.

"He was the same person before this election as he is after the election," said the White House national security adviser of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following Ebrahim Raisi's victory in Iran's presidential election.

"Iran has paid the minimum amount due," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said on Friday, according to Reuters.

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it was lifting sanctions on three former Iranian officials and two companies it said had been involved in banned petroleum sales, saying the U.S. had "verified a change in status or behavior" on their part.

Britain could face financial sanctions if further delays keep the U.K. and EU from reaching a trade agreement for Northern Ireland.

China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that a U.S. move to revoke the Trump administration's executive orders intended to ban apps like TikTok and WeChat was a "positive step."

Russia stands open for "the development of our ties on the basis of mutual respect and with the emphasis on cooperation in areas such as the Arctic issues, relations between regions and business ties where our interests objectively converge," said a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.