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The EU does not recognize the official results of the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, which put the current president, Alexander Lukashenko, at 80%. votes, and is preparing to take sanctions against his regime for manipulating election results and cracking down on protesters.
Putin on Thursday promised military support to stabilize the situation in Belarus, where mass demonstrations have been taking place for several weeks. The protesters are demanding that Lukashenko, often referred to as “the last dictator in Europe,” resign and run again.
“I have heard the Russian mantra many times that it is an internal matter of Belarus and they do not want any interference from outside. I think this also applies to them,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
“The people of Belarus must decide for themselves their future.” If Russia recognizes the independence and sovereignty of this state, it will respect the wishes and democratic choice of the people of Belarus, “he said.
Putin also called on the Minsk authorities and the opposition on Thursday to “peacefully” find a way out “of the crisis, but the prospect of a Kremlin military intervention has exacerbated the crisis at the EU borders.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Berlin for informal talks approved a list of 20 people who contributed to electoral fraud and violence against peaceful protesters. The EU will freeze the accounts of the people on the list and prevent them from entering its territory.
Although Borrell said “high political figures” would be on the list, despite calls from some countries, it was unlikely that Lukashenko would be on the list.
The EU supports the intention of the OSCE to mediate in the resolution of the crisis in Belarus, and sanctions against Mr. Lukashenko would go against it.
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