French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to help mediate in Belarus, following weeks of protests over a disputed presidential vote.
He called for a "peaceful transition" in the country after he met the exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya in Lithuania on Tuesday.
It comes after the European Union said it did not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the Belarusian president.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced "pressure" on Belarus.
Russia remains Mr Lukashenko's main ally, and it has promised to provide security assistance if the political crisis worsens.
But many countries have criticised a crackdown on mass demonstrations as well as the 9 August presidential election that the opposition says was rigged in Mr Lukashenko's favour.
Europe's longest-serving ruler under fire What's happening in Belarus? all slot
'Breathing freedom': Belarusians hope for change And on Tuesday, the UK and Canada announced sanctions on Mr Lukashenko and other senior Belarusian officials over a series of alleged human rights violations.
