The European Union does not recognize the results of the presidential elections announced by the Belarusian authorities, said the head of the European Council Charles Michel after an emergency summit.
In addition, Brussels will impose sanctions against "a significant number of those responsible for violence in the Republic and election fraud", and it is possible that the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will be included in it.
Michel called on Minsk to find a non-violent way out of the crisis and assured that the EU is ready to "accompany the peaceful transition of power".
It also announced the allocation of 53 million euros "for the Belarusian people".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a similar statement after the summit.
"Belarus must find its own way, it must happen through dialogue within the country, there should be no interference from outside, "she said, adding that "there is no doubt that the elections were unfair".
According to Merkel, EU leaders condemned violence against peaceful demonstrators, "the arrests of thousands of Belarusians" and "called on the Lukashenko regime to stop using force, and freedom of speech and gathering must be guaranteed."
She noted that all prisoners "should be released without conditions", and stressed that Europe stands "for a national dialogue, as the opposition in Belarus suggests", possibly with the participation of the OSCE.
At the same time, Merkel said that she herself could not be a mediator, since earlier Lukashenko refused to have a phone conversation with her.
Mass protests began across Belarus on August 9, after the presidential election, in which Alexander Lukashenko won for the sixth time — according to the CEC, he won 80.1% of the vote. The opposition believes that the people chose Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
In the first days, the actions were suppressed by security forces, and tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades, and rubber bullets were used against the protesters. As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic, hundreds of people were injured, including about 150 law enforcement officers. According to various official reports, three or four demonstrators were killed.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: PIXNIO
Based on materials from RIA Novosti