The European Union is aiming to hit Belarus with a new round of sanctions by June over the forced landing of Ryanair flight FR4978 and the arrest of a journalist, with tougher economic measures to follow by the summer, according to an EU official familiar with the matter.
The more stringent measures could target potash, a soil nutrient used to improve crops, the official said, asking not to be named discussing private conversations. Potash is the country’s major export -- supplying a large share of European demand -- and its only abundant mineral resource.
