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Macron vows 'pragmatic' European help for Belarus people

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged "pragmatic" European support for the people of Belarus after meeting the country's opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius on Tuesday.

"We had a very good discussion but now we need to be pragmatic and to support the Belarusian people and we will do our best, believe me," Macron said, without elaborating.

Belarus has been rocked by weeks of protests after veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in an Aug. 9 election that his opponents say was rigged.