EU approves new sanctions on Belarus – What impact will they have?

00:00 New EU sanctions follow forced grounding of airliner The EU has approved new sanctions against Belarus — ratcheting up the pressure on its leader after the forced landing of a plane. The measures hit over 80 people and organizations with asset freezes and travel bans. The EU is also eyeing more wide-reaching sanctions that would target whole sectors of Belarus’ economy, including its tobacco industry — hurting major revenue sources for Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. 03:24 DW study: Have sanctions on Belarus had an impact on Lukashenko’s rule? A DW analysis — which used freedom of the press and freedom of speech among other parameters to measure Belarusian democracy — has found little positive change since they were introduced. The recent mass protests may have had some positive effect on democratic participation. But those gains have been short-lived with little sign that two decades of sanctions have encouraged democratic development in Belarus. 07:21 How Belarus’ KGB is helping to keep Lukashenko in power Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has managed to maintain his firm grip on power, despite major protests within the country and international pressure. Helping to keep him there is the country’s secret service — and the climate of fear they’ve created.