Disinfo: The objective of EU sanctions is to increase Russophobia

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus. The leaders of the European Union and the United States are indeed preparing a new package of sanctions in connection with actions against demonstrators in Belarus. However, the restrictions will not be directed against the population of the country, the sanctions will affect only the top leadership of Belarus, which coordinates and commits violence against peaceful demonstrators.

"The Belarusian regime is not working for the best interests of the Belarusian people. The regime has used ill-gotten wealth to amass and maintain power, through a level of corruption that is all too apparent to those living inside Belarus, not to mention to the rest of the world. And now, after being clearly rejected by his own people, the ruler of Belarus is using violence to maintain his grip on power and relying upon – increasingly upon support from Moscow to prop him up," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.

The EU Council is also working to impose personal sanctions against high-ranking Belarusian officials responsible for violence, repression and electoral fraud. This refers to the prohibition of Belarusian officials from entering the European Union and the freezing of their assets in the EU. "We are in the process of adopting sanctions for a substantial number of those responsible for violence, repression and falsification of election results. They are, right now, under examination of the Council working parties with a view to adoption as soon as possible" according to High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell. None of the countries of the European Union, nor the U.S., have anything to do with the mass protests in Belarus: rallies of thousands broke out after Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled for 26 years, declared that he had “won a convincing victory” in the elections. The current protests in Belarus began on the evening of 9 August; to disperse the protesters, the security forces were using rubber bullets, flash grenades, tear gas, shockers and water cannons. On the day of voting, the centre of Minsk was blocked by security forces, whilst communications and the Internet were jammed in the city.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus and Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus. The radio podcast does not provide any evidence that the West, EU, NATO or other foreign forces or foundations are involved in any way in the protests in Belarus. There are no examples of how people are forced to go on the streets. Large-scale protests began in Minsk on 9 August after the results of the presidential election, and then in other cities. People revolted against what they call election fraud but also against the aggressiveness of the police, who arrested and ill-treated hundreds of rally participants. The European Council condemned, on 19 August 2020, the violence against peaceful protesters and announced that it would soon adopt a list of sanctions for those responsible for violence in Belarus. "As the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, and did not meet international standards, the EU does not recognise the results presented by the Belarus authorities," stated a European Council press release. French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel made the offer of an EU-led mediation for Belarus. After EU talks, German chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that there should be no external intervention: “For us it is clear that Belarus must find its own path, that must happen via dialogue in the country and there must be no intervention from outside,” she said. Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland is preparing a Euromaidan scenario for Belarus, that Belarus will turn into anti-Russia in case it does not deepen integration with Russia, that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian, that a coup and foreign military invasion may happen, that the USA, NATO and EU want to dictate to the people of Belarus a regime-change, that the West is helping to destabilise the situation in Belarus before the election, and that the West dreams of tearing Belarus apart from Russia and to organise a Ukraine-like scenario.