Latvia bans books, newspapers and video games from Russia and Belarus

Published on

24/07/2026 - 19:20 GMT+2

Latvia’s parliament approved law tweaks restricting the import of a range of Russian and Belarusian consumer goods not already covered by EU sanctions, in a move aimed at further cutting economic ties with Moscow and limiting the spread of Kremlin propaganda.

“To ensure the security of Latvian society… and to provide general support to Ukrainian society, the importation of certain industrial goods into the Republic of Latvia from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is prohibited,” the amendments to Latvia's law (link in Latvian language) on Support for the Civilian Population of Ukraine read.

The tweaked law prohibits imports of goods originating in Russia and Belarus that are not already subject to EU sanctions, tariffs or other trade restrictions — in what appears to be one of the first national bans in the EU on a broad range of Russian and Belarusian consumer goods beyond the bloc's sanctions regime. The restrictions will also apply to goods imported via third countries if their country of origin is Russia or Belarus.