The Kosovo government decided today to expand the package of economic and financial sanctions against Russia and Belarus, due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Belarus' role in that aggression.

The new measures, adopted at today's session of the Government of Kosovo, envisage a freeze on the funds of sanctioned persons, a ban on travel to and through Kosovo and a ban on the transport of goods in the country from those two countries.

Explaining the decision, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi told a cabinet meeting today that in this way Pristina "stays in line with its Western allies" when it comes to measures against Russia and Belarus.

Bislimi noted that Kosovo was among the first countries in the world to impose sanctions on Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.

Pristina has also imposed sanctions on the "non-incorporated private military entity Wagner Group", based in Russia, on the grounds that "the activities of that entity are contrary to international law".