site.btaEuropean Commission Monitors Military Exercise in Belarus, Prepares for Possible Security Threats

A spokesperson for the European Commission (EC) told a press conference here on Monday that the EC is closely monitoring the Zapad military exercise in Belarus and is continuing to prepare for possible security threats arising from this exercise. The EC once again called on the Kremlin and Minsk to comply with the requirements for advance warning of military actions.

The Commission is continuing to work on further sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The proposal is yet to be presented to the Council of the European Union.

The spokesperson reported that the EU is coordinating the sanctions with its partners and noted the importance of joint action with the US. He said that the EU aims to stop imports of Russian fossil fuels even earlier than planned, following US President Donald Trump's call for NATO countries to stop buying oil from Russia. The reporters were told that the EC is preparing even stricter measures.

The EC is about to propose a new approach to issuing visas for travel to Schengen countries, which is expected to affect Russian citizens. According to presented data, the EU issued 4 million visas to Russians in 2019, while last year the number fell to 541,000.