EU Pledges $3.7Bln to Democratic Belarus If Lukashenko Leaves Power

[misskit]

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday warned Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko "it is time to change course" as her executive held out the promise of a three-billion-euro support package if he leaves power.


The European Commission president said the EU's message was twofold: one of support to the Belarusian people — and a warning to Lukashenko.


"No amount of repression, brutality or coercion will bring any legitimacy to your authoritarian regime. So far, you have blatantly ignored the democratic choice of the Belarusian people. It is time to change course," she said.


"When — and we believe it is a case of when, not if — Belarus starts its peaceful democratic transition, the EU will be there to accompany it."

A commission spokeswoman said von der Leyen had written to Belarus's opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and other opposition figures "expressing her respect and admiration for the courage and strength of the people of Belarus."


"The president conveyed the EU stands ready to engage in all possible ways to accompany a peaceful democratic transition in Belarus, and outlined in her letter the EU's comprehensive plan of economic support to a democratic Belarus of up to three billion euros ($3.7 billion)," spokeswoman Ana Pisonero said.


The announced investment package is a mix of grants and loans aimed at helping "a future, democratic Belarus to stabilize its economy, reform its institutions to make them more democratic and support economic reforms that increase the country's resilience, growth potential and job creation."


"The EU will activate this plan once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition," Pisonero said.



Expanding sanctions


The proposed support from the EU comes as the bloc aims to ramp up pressure on Lukashenko after the forced landing of an Athens-to-Vilnius Ryanair flight in Minsk on Sunday and arrest of a dissident journalist onboard.


EU leaders have already agreed to ban Belarusian airlines from flying to the bloc and recommended EU-based carriers avoid Belarusian airspace.


Diplomats from the 27 nations are now working on expanding sanctions on Belarus and are eyeing hitting key sectors of the economy to try to undercut Lukashenko's financial backing.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter that the three-billion-euro support plan "should be a genuine incentive for the regime to change its course."


Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, claimed a sixth presidential term in last August's vote that the opposition and Western diplomats said was rigged.


Lukashenko's security forces unleashed a brutal crackdown after widespread protests swept the country, jailing thousands and forcing key opponents into exile.


The EU has already slapped asset freezes and visa bans on Lukashenko and 87 other regime figures, but the strongman has shrugged off Western pressure with support from key ally Russia.


Lukashenko was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Friday.


EU Pledges $3.7Bln to ‘Democratic Belarus’ If Lukashenko Leaves Power - The Moscow Times

[lom]

"The EU will activate this plan once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition," Pisonero said.

Well, that won't happen as long as Vlad holds Lukashenko standing upright.

[OhOh]

The EU is advocating formenting/funding a constitutionally elected, duly formed, government's overthrow.

They may wish to review The Charter of the United Nations.

• The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.

• All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

• All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

• Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.

"What is the principle of sovereignty?


In international law, sovereignty means that a government possesses full control over affairs within a territorial or geographical area or limit. ...

Foreign governments use varied criteria and political considerations when deciding whether or not to recognise the sovereignty of a state over a territory."

sovereign equality - Google 搜尋

Madness.

[panama hat]

The EU is advocating formenting/funding a constitutionally elected, duly formed, government's overthrow.

If that's what your bizarre brain makes out of it . . . better than invading like China and Russia

[harrybarracuda]

The EU is advocating formenting/funding a constitutionally elected, duly formed, government's overthrow.

I notice you omitted the word "legitimate". Bit of a Freudian slip there eh?

Anyway, He's got plenty of stolen cash, and I'm sure the prospect of a cup of "tea" with Vlad will be enough to turn him off the idea.

[panama hat]

I'm sure the prospect of a cup of "tea" with Vlad will be enough to turn him off the idea.

And so it was . . . beggars can't be choosers.

Putin hails closer relations with Belarus in meeting with Lukashenko


Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised closer ties between Russia and Belarus during talks with strongman Alexander Lukashenko, a day after the UN civil aviation agency announced it would investigate Sunday's diversion of a Ryanair plane and the arrest of a journalist on board.


“We've been building the Union State,” Putin told Lukashenko at the start of high-profile talks in Sochi. “We are confidently moving in that direction, that work is already bringing concrete results to our citizens,” he said in televised remarks.


The meeting in Sochi between the Kremlin and the Belarusian leader, who enjoys strong support from Moscow, comes as airlines revealed Russia had blocked some European flights for avoiding Belarusian airspace.
The G7 global powers have demanded Belarus release the journalist, Roman Protasevich, and the EU's foreign policy chief threatened hard-hitting economic sanctions.

Putin hails closer relations with Belarus in meeting with Lukashenko