EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, say the bloc does not recognize Belarus' presidential elections. They have vowed sanctions on those behind violence against protesters. Follow DW for the latest.
All updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)
13:30 The EU will give €53 million ($63 million) originally earmarked for the Belarusian government to civil society in the country, victims of the state's crackdown on protesters and the country's efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, von der Leyen says.
13:25 Von der Leyen says Belarus' future must be decided by the people of Belarus.
13:22 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair.
13:20 Michel says the EU will soon impose new Belarus sanctions.
13:17 At a video conference after the European Council meeting, its president, Charles Michel, say the violence against peaceful protesters was shocking and unacceptable.
13:11 German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the states of the EU do not recognize the result of the presidential election in Belarus.
12:56 DW correspondent Nick Connolly is currently in Minsk, meeting with protesters to hear more about why they are taking to the streets. One student who was protesting said: "I'm only 20 and all that time I’ve lived under Lukashenko. He’s the scariest person you’ve ever seen. When I got to Minsk and found out what happened I cried for two days."
12:30 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted that the EU, including the Netherlands, "cannot accept the results of these elections."
11:27 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says Western countries should focus on their own problems instead of on what is happening in Belarus.
"I would want for them to first and foremost consider the protests against coronavirus isolation in Germany and other countries in Europe," he said in comments carried by state news agency Belta.
"They have a lot of problems. They should not point to Belarus to divert attention from the problems that exist in France, the US, Germany and so on."
He has also ordered police in Minsk to put down protests, saying people were "tired" and demanding "peace and quiet."
Read more: Exclusive: Lukashenko regime 'clearly' at an end in Belarus, says Schäuble
11:03 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused foreign powers of using the unrest to interfere in Belarus, according to Russia's TASS and Interfax news agencies.
He said there was no need for outside mediation in the ex-Soviet state, adding that statements from EU countries were driven by geopolitics.
France and Germany have appealed to Moscow, a close Belarus ally, to push for dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it saw no need for Russia to help Belarus militarily or otherwise.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said outside interference in Belarus was unacceptable, and that the situation should be solved internally by Belarusians themselves.
Read more: Is Belarus closer to the West or to Russia?
10:15 EU leaders have kicked off an emergency video summit to discuss the political crisis in Belarus.
EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc's member states had a clear message: "Violence has to stop and a peaceful and inclusive dialogue has to be launched."
"The leadership of #Belarus must reflect the will of the people," he said.
Belarus has been rocked by mass protests since authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in elections on August 9. The opposition accuses the 65-year-old of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.
Ahead of the EU meeting, Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged leaders not to recognize the "fraudulent elections."
"The August 9 elections were neither fair, nor transparent. The results were falsified," Tsikhanouskaya said in a video message, which was delivered in English. "Lukashenko has lost all legitimacy in the eyes of our nation and the world."
Catch up on Tuesday's Belarus developments here.
nm/stb (AFP, Reuters)