Belarus tells UN sanctions would be ‘harmful for everyone’

A police officer tries to take away an old Belarusian national flag from Nina Bahinskaya’s hands during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus (TUT.by/AP)

Belarus’ foreign minister has warned Western nations against imposing sanctions over the country’s disputed presidential election and crackdown on protesters.

With the European Union and Britain contemplating sanctions, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told the virtual UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders that “interference in our internal affairs, sanctions and other restrictions on Belarus will have the opposite effect and are harmful for absolutely everyone.”