Following the videoconference held by members of the European Council on Wednesday (August 19), EU leaders agree that the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, did not meet international standards, and therefore the EU refuses to recognise the results. Also the presidents of the Visegrad Four countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) released a joint statement on Wednesday to express solidarity with those in Belarus who protest against the sitting President Alexander Lukashenko. The V4 presidents expressed their "deepest concern about the presidential election, the result of which has not been recognised by the Belarusian society". Apart from that, they called on "any foreign actors to refrain from actions that would undermine Belarus' independence and sovereignty".
"Slovakia shouldn't interfere in Belarus's internal affairs", head of the opposition Smer-SD party Robert Fico stated in a video published on his Facebook account on Wednesday. According to Fico, Slovakia's sovereignty is disappearing from the Government's foreign policies when it acts as a copycat of foreign opinions. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Klus, the EU as well as V4 object against any foreign intervention in Belarus. "Especially ideas about military interventions and various intelligence shenanigans protecting the current totalitarian regime are absolutely unacceptable in our eyes," noted Klus.
