MOSCOW, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)'s intention to introduce sanctions against Belarus was "a pure policy of double standards," Russian lawmaker Yuly Kvitsinsky said on Monday.

    Alexander Lukashenko's victory at the presidential election cannot be doubted, Kvitsinsky, first deputy chairman of the international affairs committee under the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    "Even if one takes into consideration the criminal remarks from the EU, the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and other western observers, the victory at such a scale cannot be challenged," Kvitsinsky said.

    The statement by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU External Relations Commissioner, was an "unsuccessfully" follow-up of the campaign begun in the West under the slogan "any election result in favor of Lukashenko is wrong and can be used as a pretext for sanctions against this country." In fact, "it's a pure policy of double standards," Kvitsinsky said.

    According to the final results released by the Central Election Commission in Minsk, incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko garnered 82.6 percent of the vote in the Sunday election.

    Russia said on Monday the presidential re-election in Belarus had been fair and was legitimate. President Putin sent congratulation messages to Lukashenko the same day.

    However, the EU is "very likely" to impose stiffer sanctions onthe Belarusian authority amid suspicions over foul play in the country's presidential election, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Monday.

    The EU sanctions already in place include a visa ban on six key Belarus leaders. Enditem