“The State Department is introducing visa restrictions against citizens of Belarus ... Measures are directed against a number of citizens of Belarus for their involvement in serious activities directed against dissidents, which was carried out outside national jurisdiction,” TASS quoted the head of American diplomacy as saying.
Blinken stressed that Washington condemns any such activity and cited attempts to forcibly return Olympic athlete Kristina Timanovskaya to the republic as an example.
At the same time, the State Department did not clarify the list of persons against whom restrictive measures were introduced.
In December, the US Treasury imposed new sanctions on Belarus.
Under the American restrictions, including the son of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, businessman Dmitry Lukashenko, fell.
In total, 20 individuals, 12 organizations, and three aircraft fell under the sanctions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the goal of the Western sanctions policy the provocation of a new wave of anti-government protests in Belarus.