Josep Borrell
The European Union refused to recognize the legitimacy of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. This statement was made by the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, quoted by RIA Novosti.
He stressed that the association believes that the presidential elections held on August 9 were rigged. Speaking about Lukashenka, the diplomat was mistaken at first and named Ukraine instead of Belarus. Borrel was quickly corrected and he apologized.
In the Kremlin, Alexander Lukashenko is recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus. According to the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, in Russia all citizens of the republic are “appreciated and loved”, regardless of whether they support Lukashenka or not.
Protests in Belarus have continued since August 9. Their participants demand the resignation of Lukashenka, the holding of new elections and the punishment of the security officials responsible for the harsh crackdown on demonstrators. The authorities believe that elements of external interference are visible in the situation. According to Lukashenka, the protesters are trying to act in the country according to the manuals of the color revolutions, and they are controlled from Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The opposition is accused of attempting a coup d'etat.
