TIKHANOVSKA SPOKE FROM EXILE

s sport j2 money culture scene video subscription SPEECH FROM EXILE Belarus's opposition leader is urging the EU not to recognize the election results Alexander Lukashenko faces a wave of mass protests and strikes that are the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule Writes: HinaPosted: August 19, 2020 10:20 am 8508451 Sergei Gapon / AFP Facebook Twitter Messenger E-mail RELATED NEWS Alexander Lukashenko 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 ' REBELLION IN BELARUS The most massive protest against Lukashenko so far: 'There are as many as 200,000 people on the streets!' Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Wednesday appealed to European Union leaders not to recognize what she called fraudulent presidential elections, telling the Union to respect the choice of the Belarusian people. Tikhanovskaya spoke from exile in neighboring Lithuania, ahead of an emergency EU summit to be held by video conference and at which European leaders will discuss the crisis in Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko , the country's longtime leader, faces a wave of mass protests and strikes that are the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule. He denies the August 9 election fraud in order to secure a sixth term. "I urge you not to recognize this fraudulent election," Tikhanovskaya said in her video appeal. "Mr Lukashenko has lost all legitimacy in the eyes of our nation and the world." Tikhanovskaya said that she is the real winner of the elections and that she wants the new elections to be held under some kind of international supervision. The EU has announced it will impose sanctions on Belarusian officials it holds responsible for electoral fraud and repression at protests that killed two and detained thousands of people. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde has offered to visit Minsk on behalf of the OSCE, an organization that includes both Western and former Soviet countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin , who offered military assistance to Lukashenko, spoke by phone on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel , French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel . He warned Merkel and Macron against foreign interference in the affairs of Belarus, a close ally of Russia. After the disputed elections on August 9, the pressure on President Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, continues to increase. He is facing daily protests and a strike movement that has affected several industries important for the economy. However, Lukashenko has repeatedly rejected calls to step down