European Council will discuss the situation in Belarus on Wednesday

17 de Agosto de 2020

#PlusEurope1 After repeated EU calls to the Belarusian authorities to stop the disproportionate and unacceptable violence against peaceful protesters, unlawful detentions, inhumane treatment and detention conditions of Belarusians, European Council President, Charles Michel, has called a video conference of EU Heads of State and Government on Wednesday to address the situation in Belarus:

"What we have witnessed in Belarus is not acceptable. The 9th August elections were neither free nor fair. The subsequent violence against peaceful protesters was shocking and has to be condemned. Those responsible must be held to account. The EU has started work on sanctions.

The people of Belarus have the right to determine their own future. To allow for this, violence has to stop and a peaceful and inclusive dialogue has to be launched. The leadership of Belarus must reflect the will of the people. There should be no outside interference."

EU leaders will discuss how best to respond to the evolving situation in the country of the last dictatorship on European soil, a dictatorship supported by Russia. It is often speculated that the Kremlin's true intention on Belarus is annexation in a similar way to its policy on Crimea and the Eastern regions of Ukraine.

The European Union will look at how to increase its support to the Belarusian people, including through enhanced engagement with and financial support to civil society, additional support to independent media, and increasing opportunities for student and academic mobility.