London: As its most recent retaliation for Belarus' support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its repression of opposition activists, Britain on Thursday announced new sanctions against the country.

The new restrictions, according to London, would target Belarus exports that have supported the rule of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and "crack down on Russia's efforts to circumvent sanctions."

Following the start of the Russian war in Ukraine in February of last year, the West imposed a number of rounds of sanctions on Moscow and its neighbour to the west, Minsk.

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Currently, the UK is blocking exports of banknotes, machinery, and goods, technologies, and materials that could be used to produce chemical weapons from Belarus and prohibiting imports of gold, cement, wood, rubber, and rubber from Belarus.

The measures also give Britain justification to stop specific Belarusian media outlets from propagandising and spreading false information within the UK, including online.

As is the case with sanctioned Russian outlets, social media platforms and Internet service providers will be required to impose access restrictions on the websites of sanctioned Belarusian media organisations.

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The UK government can now target a wider range of Belarusians, including Lukashenko's ministers, advisers, and staff, thanks to the new legislation, which also broadens the definition of who is subject to sanctions.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement that "this new package ratchets up the economic pressure on Lukashenko and his regime which actively facilitates the Russian war effort and ignores Ukraine's territorial integrity."

"Our support for Ukraine will remain unwavering for however long it takes, and the UK won't hesitate to introduce new sanctions against those who fund Putin's war," the statement reads.

Lukashenko has been in charge of Belarus since 1994. The UK was one of several Western nations that imposed sanctions on Lukashenko's administration in response to its repression of large-scale anti-government demonstrations in 2020.

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Then, in response to its involvement in Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine, Western nations imposed a number of new sanctions last year.

In addition to giving Moscow's forces logistical and training support, Lukashenko has permitted Russia to conduct missile and drone strikes against Ukraine from Belarusian territory and airspace