SANCTION FALLOW

EU does not recognize Lukashenko's victory, Plenković: 'It is up to the citizens to determine their own future' EU Council President says EU will soon impose sanctions on those involved in election fraud and repression of protesters Writes: HinaPosted: August 19, 2020 5:42 pm Andrej Plenković Srdjan Vrancic / Cropix SPEECH FROM EXILE Belarus's opposition leader is urging the EU not to recognize the election results DAY 10 PROTEST Lukashenko furious: 'They claim to be calm, but it's a smokescreen, a scam! They want me to hand over power to them ' European Council President Charles Michel said on Wednesday that the European Union does not recognize the results of Belarus' presidential election and that it will soon impose sanctions on those involved in electoral fraud and repression of protesters. "The EU will soon impose sanctions on a significant number of people responsible for violence, repression and electoral fraud," Michel said at the end of an extraordinary summit of European leaders in which Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also took part . The summit was convened to agree on the Union's response to the situation in Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claims to have won the August 9th election with 80 percent, while the opposition says it is an election fraud and protests against Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, have been going on since the election results were announced. The European Commission, on the other hand, will redirect 53m euros to the Belarusian authorities, civil society, protesters, victims of violence and the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic in that country, Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. The commission will provide 53m euros to support Belarus. Three million euros will go to victims of repression and civil society, while most of the support will go to the fight against coronavirus. Von der Leyen said the EU was "ready to support a peaceful and democratic transition of power in Belarus". "We support the people of Belarus who want basic freedoms and democracy," she added. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković emphasized at the summit of European leaders that "it is up to the citizens and people of Belarus to determine their own future, through democratic and fair elections, without external interference," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. Plenković supported the imposition of sanctions on individuals responsible for the violence and condemned the government's violence against protesters, it added.