Member states want the sanctions, which include a ban on the import of diamonds, gold and coal, to be more in line with those against Moscow in order to reduce the number of banned goods flowing into Russia which can be used against Ukraine.

Posting on X on Wednesday, Belgium, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said “EU Ambassadors agreed in principle on a new package of sanctions targeting Belarus.

“This package will strengthen our measures in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including combating circumvention of sanctions.”

The package, which was proposed by the European Commission in January 2023 for Belarus’s part in supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, also includes a ban on the import of maritime navigation components as well as on the provision of IT services in Belarus.

An unofficial EU source told the Polish Press Agency that it had recently become clear that the EU sanctions imposed on Russia are being circumvented via Belarus.

The source said: “When we negotiated the 14th package [of sanctions against Russia], we focused exclusively on Russia, but there was still a back door that had to be closed.”

One of the reasons EU members struggled to reach an agreement on Belarus for a year and a half was to enable the transport of Belarusian fertilizers through the EU to third countries that are at risk of a food crisis.