PanARMENIAN.Net – The European Commission has pledged EUR 53 million to the other people of Belarus, Euronews reports.
With two million euros to help victims of state violence and one million euros to help the independent media, the rest is for covid-19 help.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said Wednesday (August 19): “Now it is more than ever to be there for the people of Belarus and to reschedule government money, civil society and vulnerable groups.”
“It has been unanimous on the part of the EU to paint on sanctions opposed to those guilty of what is happening.”
“While we build ours for the Belarusian people, we will have to be the company of those who manipulated the elections,” Von der Leyen added.80% of the vote , “have been forged”, and the bloc of 27 nations prepares a list of Belarusian officials who may be blacklisted in Europe because of their duties.
“Our message is clear. Violence will have to prevent and a non-violent and inclusive debate will have to begin.Belarusian leaders will have to reflect the will of the people,” European Council President Charles Michel tweeted, minutes after the start of the summit he is presiding over.
The Belarusian leader has threatened to take additional steps to oppose protesters who defy the extension of his 26-year term and accused the West of fomenting unrest as it seeks to consolidate its control of force amid developing protests.
President Alexander Lukashenko warned Wednesday that opposition activists who have created a council to negotiate a transition and new elections may face crime charges, and ordered their security agencies to repair order on the streets, a imaginable harbinger of a new crackdown on nonviolent protests..
This comes when EU leaders have expressed their full support for other Belarusians who need a non-violent transition to democracy after 10 days of state repression and violence against protesters.