EU condems violence in Belarus and vows to impose sanctions for electoral fraud

Charles Michel told a news conference the EU would soon "decide sanctions, targeted sanctions" at the end of an extraordinary summit of EU leaders called to discuss the bloc's reaction to the disputed August 9 elections in Belarus.

"Our message is very clear: stop the violence. And we don't accept the impunity. We don't tolerate the impunity and it's why we took this very important decision. It's our intention to decide sanctions, targeted sanctions, in order to target the individuals, authorities involved in the process of violence or in the falsification of the elections. And we will continue in the next hours, also in the next days, to follow closely the situation. We don't accept the violence," Michel said.

The head of the bloc's executive arm, Ursula von der Leyen, said the European Commission would reroute 53 million euros earmarked for Belarus away from the government and towards civil society, victims of the state crackdown on protesters and the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

"Now, it is more important than ever to be there for the Belarusian people and to reprogram money away from the authorities and towards civil society and vulnerable groups. The European Commission will mobilize now an additional 53 million euros to support the Belarusian people in these challenging times," said von der Leyen.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday asked Western countries not to "nod at Belarus" and to concentrate on their own problems.

"Those who today, especially abroad... are plotting against us, will get a serious rebuff, " he said.

The Belarus leader said that most of Belarusians are busy with work for the moment, but added that social and political situation remains difficult.

"If someone thinks that the power is failing and shaking, you're wrong", Lukashenko said.

Culturally, politically and economically, Belarus is the ex-Soviet republic with the closest ties to Russia, including a treaty that proclaims a "union state" of the two countries with a Soviet-style red flag.

But Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko have had a difficult personal relationship.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU foreign policy chief Charles Michel spoke to Putin by telephone on Tuesday (August 19).

The Kremlin said Putin warned all three against foreign meddling in the affairs of Belarus.

The EU is gearing up to impose new sanctions on Belarus officials. European diplomats say the situation in Belarus is different from Ukraine's six years ago, in part because the Belarus opposition is not necessarily seeking to loosen ties with Russia, merely to get rid of Lukashenko.