EU, U.S. impose sanctions against Belarus for aiding Russia's invasion of Ukraine

March 2 (UPI) -- The United States and ambassadors in the European Union have approved economic sanctions against Belarus for assisting Russia in its attack on Ukraine, officials said Wednesday.

The penalties will be levied for Belarus allowing Russia to use its country as a staging ground to launch the invasion Thursday. Russian forces attacked Ukraine from the north in three-pronged strategies coming from Belarus.

The EU sanctions will target certain sectors of the Belarusian economy -- including the wood, steel and potash sectors, officials said.

The French EU presidency said the measures will be published in the Official Journal of the EU for "entry into force."

The sanctions come after Britain and the United States both imposed sanctions against Belarus for aiding Russia in the Ukraine invasion.

The United States announced a new set of sanctions on Russia and Belarus on Wednesday, including export controls on Belarus and preventing technology and software from getting to either country.

"We will choke off Belarus' ability to import key technologies," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. "And if [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko's support for the war continues, the consequences for his regime will escalate."

The U.S. government also sanctioned 22 Russian defense-related entities that provide items for the Russian military.

Before Russian forces crossed over into Ukraine, Belarus was already facing sanctions from Britain, the EU and United States related to Lukashenko's violent crackdown against protesters last year following his disputed re-election.

Also last year, Belarus forced down a commercial passenger flight to arrest a dissident journalist, an incident that drew condemnation from much of Europe and the United States.