Poland & Czech Republic deny Lukashenko’s accusations that they organized protests in Belarus

The EU must take steps in order to prevent the possibility of the use of force in Belarus, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said on Monday. He denied that Warsaw had inspired post-election protests in Belarus, and added that the Belarusian authorities had to understand that they had not been incited by actions from abroad but instead resulted from a lack of satisfaction on the part of the people, PAP reports.

Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki earlier in the day called on EU’s leaders to convene an extraordinary summit to discuss the situation in Belarus.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had said participants in post-election protests in Belarus were being steered from Poland, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic.

In Prague, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the elections in Belarus “cannot be said to be free and democratic.” The Czech Republic “fully respects and supports the independence and sovereignty of Belarus, but at the same time, will under all circumstances promote freedom of expression and assembly and equal political competition,” the ministry said.