The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced the EU will impose new sanctions on Belarus as it continues to up the pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine and extends measures to those countries that support Russia.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the heads of Nato and the European Council, Jens Stoltenberg and Charles Michel, she said:

"We will keep pressure on the Kremlin for as long as it takes with a biting sanctions regime, we will extend these sanctions to those who militarily support Russia’s war such as Belarus or Iran.

And we will be coming forward with new sanctions against Belarus answering their role in this Russian war in Ukraine."