In this Sunday, August 16, file photo opposition supporters wave a huge old Belarusian national flag as they rally in the center of Minsk, Belarus. “The European Union stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus, and we don’t accept impunity,” European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing an emergency teleconference. “We don’t recognize the results presented by the Belarus authorities”Michel said the EU will impose sanctions on “a substantial number” of people linked to election fraud and violence. Ekaterina Pierson-Lyzhina, a Brussels-based researcher into Belarus’ EU foreign policy, said that recent surveys suggest around 60% of people want the country to remain independent and reject any kind of union. Smaller groups are divided up into those who support European or Russian integration.

Source: The Standard August 19, 2020 14:15 UTC