15/12/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 15 December, the Council of the EU introduced a new criterion for imposing sanctions on persons and entities benefiting from, participating in or facilitating actions or policies attributable to Belarus and which undermine or threaten the EU and its Member States. The EU will be able to impose restrictive measures on those who plan, direct, engage in support or facilitate foreign information manipulation and interference, as well as those involved in actions targeted at the functioning of democratic institutions, economic activities or services of public interest of the EU and its Member States. The EU will also be able to target the unauthorised entry into the territory of a Member State. Finally, this criterion covers as well actions aimed at interfering with, damaging or destroying critical infrastructure, as well as widespread or systematic actions resulting in the disruption of such infrastructure. The decision follows incursions by weather balloons into Lithuanian airspace. (CG)