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Crisis in Belarus

Putin tells European Council president meddling in Belarus’ affairs is counterproductive

The European Council members following a video conference on August 19 announced plans to impose sanctions against a number of individuals of Belarus following the election in the country

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the outcome of the EU summit on Belarus with European Council President Charles Michel, the Kremlin press service said in a statement on Thursday.

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"Michel briefed [Putin] on the outcome of the August 19 summit of the European Union, dedicated to events in Belarus. Russia pointed out that any pressure on the leadership of the sovereign Belarusian state and foreign interference in domestic processes taking place in the country were counterproductive," the statement reads.

According to the Kremlin press service, "it was confirmed that it is in the interests of both Russia and the European Union that the situation in Belarus returns to normal as soon as possible."

Michel said in conclusions published after a video conference of the members of the European Council on August 19 that the European Council did not recognize the results of the August 9 presidential election in Belarus. The EU called for the release of prisoners and an end to violence against protesters and announced plans to "impose sanctions against a substantial number of individuals responsible for violence, repression and the falsification of election results."

Belarus held a presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.1% of the vote whereas his main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya garnered 10.12%. Protests erupted in the country's capital of Minsk and several other cities following the presidential vote, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers.

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