EU Summit Did Not Recognize Elections in Belarus and Will Impose Sanctions Against Lukashenka's Regime

New elections should be held.

The leaders of the EU countries at the emergency summit did not recognize the results of the presidential elections in Belarus. This was stated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel, reports "Radio Svaboda". "The EU will soon impose sanctions against a significant number of people responsible for brutality, repression, and election fraud," he said.

At the end of the summit, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also announced that the EU will impose sanctions against those involved in the falsification of election results and those responsible for violence against civilians. Also, the EU does not recognize the results of the elections in Belarus and calls for new elections.

According to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the European Union supports peaceful demonstrators who express their dissatisfaction with the election results. There is no doubt that there have been massive violations, Merkel said after about three hours of consultations. "We condemn violent violence against people," she added. All political prisoners must be unconditionally released, the chancellor stressed.

In turn, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed that there should not be any external interference in the situation in Belarus. As the Prime Minister of Poland noted, the European Union spoke with one voice on the situation in Belarus.

"The European Council met at our request as soon as possible. The entire European Council unequivocally condemned the course of the elections in Belarus and stated that new elections should be held, since these cannot in any way be recognized as fair, free, and democratic," the Prime Minister of Poland said in the comments for tvp.info.

"We strongly support sanctions against persons who acted against protesters in Belarus," the Polish prime minister said. He pointed out that these are sanctions against persons who took part in direct actions to disperse demonstrations, in beating protesters, oppositionists, or citizens who just protested.

To participate in the summit, which was held in the format of a video conference, many heads of state and government of the EU countries interrupted the summer break on purpose.