EU puts pressure on Lukashenko a year after Belarus elections | abroad

Borrell mentioned a number of examples of this in a statement, such as Emergency landing in Minsk for Ryanair flight with Belarusian defector and “the use of vulnerable migrants for political purposes.” European countries believe that Belarus Large numbers of asylum seekers cross the border into the European Union to apply pressure.

Polish border guards announced on Friday that 133 migrants were stopped at the border with Belarus in two days. “Compared to 122 in the whole of last year,” a company spokesperson said. Lithuania has also seen a sharp increase in immigration and blames Lukashenko’s regime for allowing asylum seekers to travel by air and then sending them to the European Union.

The relationship between the European Union and Belarus, often referred to as Europe’s last dictatorship, has deteriorated dramatically over the past year. The 66-year-old Lukashenko has ruled the country for more than a quarter of a century and also won the elections on Sunday, August 9, 2020. The European Union considers the poll to be fraudulent and many Belarusians also believe it was. deceived. Lukashenko’s security forces launched a crackdown on civilian protestors who did not accept the election results in recent months.

The EU has already taken punitive measures after the elections and, according to Borrell, is ready to consider “additional measures”. The EU foreign affairs official stressed that the current sanctions will only be lifted if Belarus respects democracy and the rule of law. He demanded the release of “more than 600 political prisoners” and the opening of the way for fair elections attended by international organizers.

Borrell not only threatened sanctions, but also offered European help if Belarus decided to switch to democracy. The diplomat promised that Brussels would then help stabilize the country’s economy and reform its institutions. This should lead to more job opportunities and raise the standard of living in the country.