European Union to soon impose sanctions on Belarusian officials

The European Union (EU) announced that it will impose sanctions on Belarusian officials on Wednesday, with its leaders from 27 states agreeing that a new vote would be required, following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. 

European Council President Charles Michel said in a video briefing that the EU would soon impose sanctions on a “substantial number” of individuals responsible for violence and election fraud.  

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no need for outside mediation over the unrest in Belarus and accused foreign powers of using the crisis to interfere in Belarus, Russia's TASS and Interfax news agencies reported.