Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has paid an unexpected visit to a detention center in Minsk, meeting incarcerated members of the so-called ‘Coordination council of the opposition’. The unusual move was reported by local media on Saturday, with a short video from the meeting emerging on social media later in the day. Members of the opposition ‘council’ were detained over calls to overthrow the government amid the unrest that followed the contested August 9 presidential election. The activists are currently being held at the pre-trial detention center of the Belarus State Security Committee (KGB) in Minsk. Among other things, Lukashenko touched upon […]
Lukashenko
42 posts
WARSAW, Poland—One of the rare successes chalked up by the regime of Europe’s last dictator has been the establishment of a kind of East European Silicon Valley, which spawned a booming industry of Belarusian programmers and tech start-ups. The autocratic president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, now fears he has created a monster. An army of 30,000 tech-savvy professionals is turning against its creator. Coders and software engineers, many of whom are linked to the state-sponsored Hi-Tech Park in Minsk, have formed a hacking collective called Cyber Partisans which is wreaking havoc as Lukashenko tries to quell a growing revolution. Thousands of […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202009231080546018-alexander-lukashenko-sworn-in-as-belarusian-president-state-media-says/ Lukashenko garnered the support of 80 percent of voters in the 9 August election, according to the official results, which were widely rejected by the opposition as falsified. The controversial outcome of the vote has caused nationwide protests. Alexander Lukashenko has been inaugurated as the president of Belarus, Belta News Agency reported Wednesday. The official ceremony at the Independence Palace was attended by several hundred people, including senior lawmakers, top executives of state organisations as well as scientists, artists and athletes. The media outlet said that Lukashenko put his hand on the constitution and […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104982/26/1049822630_0:183:3500:2151_1200x675_80_0_0_0f4a931ce25aea364db9db92a5b3c9c2.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202009231080545631-belarus-presidential-spokeswoman-not-revealing-date-of-lukashenkos-swearing-in-ceremony/ MINSK (Sputnik) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s spokeswoman, Natalya Eismont, was reluctant to tell Sputnik when the elected leader would be sworn-in but promised to provide information closer to the date of the ceremony. “As of now, I can only tell you that we will certainly announce it to you closer to the date of the swearing-in ceremony”, Eismont said when asked to comment on claims the ceremony could be held on 29 September. Belarus held the presidential election on 9 August. According to the final results, revealed by the Central Election Commission, Lukashenko […]
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Alexander Lukashenko is the legitimate president of Belarus, and all Belarusians are seen as brotherly people in Russia, regardless of whether they agree with the latest election results or not, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenko] is the legitimate president of the Republic of Belarus and is a vis-a-vis of President [Vladimir] Putin in interstate relations”, Peskov said following Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi. Russia sees all Belarusians, both those supporting Lukashenko and those opposing him, as brotherly people. “As President Putin has said from the […]
Opposition supporters protest against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Sunday. TUT.BY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption TUT.BY/AFP via Getty Images Opposition supporters protest against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on Sunday. TUT.BY/AFP via Getty Images More than 100,000 protesters flooded the streets of the capital Minsk on Sunday in ongoing protests calling for Belarus’ authoritarian president to resign. Sunday’s protests come on the eve of President Alexander Lukashenko’s planned meeting on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. It will be the first time the two leaders will meet face-to-face since unrest erupted in Belarus […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202009091080404940-lukashenko-sent-unpublished-parts-of-alleged-berlin-warsaw-talks-on-navalny-to-russia-reports-say/ On Friday, Belarusian state-run media released a recording of the alleged conversation about Navalny, who recently emerged from a coma in a hospital in Berlin. The recording features an alleged German representative saying it is not really important to confirm the poisoning, since “all methods are good at war.” Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Union is still underway with finalizing the scope of sanctions and the individuals to which they will apply over the situation in Belarus, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday following reports that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko might not end up on the list. “The member states are discussing the final list of those who will be sanctioned, so the scope, extent and those who would be sanctioned are subject of ongoing discussions,” Stano told a briefing when asked to comment on whether Lukashenko should be expected to be on the list. The spokesman did […]
An aide to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told protesters in Minsk that a new constitution is in the works and has called for peace – though the president himself was seen carrying a rifle outside his residence. A crowd of protesters that had assembled outside the home of the president in the Belarusian capital had the opportunity to talk face to face with one of his aides, Nikolay Latyshenok. However, once again, they were told the government considers the presidential election that handed victory to Lukashenko “fair.” Also on rt.com Belarus’ anti-government protesters, law enforcement brace for possible showdown on […]
Protesters have taken to the streets of Minsk for another day of protests, marching towards the residence of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. The Belarusian president’s Press Secretary Natalya Eismont, when asked about the whereabouts of Alexander Lukashenko and whether he was following the situation in Minsk, shared a photo of him with an assault rifle in front of the Palace of Independence. Media reports have emerged suggesting the photo circulating on social media platforms could have been taken days before the Sunday protests. The statement comes after armoured personnel carriers approached a police cordon outside the residence of Lukashenko […]
Thousands of pro-opposition women marched and tried to breach a police cordon in central Minsk on Saturday while ‘motor rallies’ were held in support of President Alexander Lukashenko, as political turmoil continues in Belarus. The women were carrying flowers, white-red-white flags and white-red-white umbrellas, and chanting slogans such as “Shame!”, “We will not forget, we will not forgive!” and “Long live Belarus!” The protesters had planned to march along Independence Avenue, but minibuses blocked their way. Police warned the marchers that their action was unauthorized and called on the crowd not to disturb public order and to break up the gathering. […]
People protest at the Independence Square in Minsk on Thursday. Sergei Grits/AP hide caption toggle caption Sergei Grits/AP People protest at the Independence Square in Minsk on Thursday. Sergei Grits/AP Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to be regaining the upper hand after mass demonstrations against his reelection in an Aug. 9 vote criticized as neither free nor fair by the U.S. and the European Union. For opposition supporters, a sense of dread is replacing the euphoria of some of the largest protests in Belarus since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. “The government is now tightening the screws very […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1b/1080291225_0:314:3024:2015_1200x675_80_0_0_ec35bb3e2b019d5e5619b80ac810afdb.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008271080291522-lukashenko-claims-3mln-people-attended-protests-in-his-support-across-belarus/ MINSK (Sputnik) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday the number of his supporters who had taken to the streets across the country amid the post-election unrest was around 3 million people, which he describes as a “great force.” “The rallies in support of peace, tranquillity and the incumbent president have already been attended by about 3 million people. This a great force – 3 million people,” Lukashenko told Belarus’ state news agency Belta. According to the Belarusian president, his supporters are “calmer” and include “veterans, retired people and professionals.” “That is how […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko greet a group of World War II veterans in the Russian village of Khoroshevo on June 30. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP hide caption toggle caption Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko greet a group of World War II veterans in the Russian village of Khoroshevo on June 30. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP As he faces the biggest domestic challenge to his 26-year rule, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is looking for external enemies to blame — and […]
A wave of anti-government protests swept Belarus following the presidential election, in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth consecutive term, gaining over 80 percent of the vote, according to official data. Unauthorised mass rallies against the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko continue in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Lukashenko and the release of detained protesters and political prisoners. A wave of anti-government protests swept Belarus following the presidential election, in which incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth consecutive term, gaining over 80 percent of the vote. The country’s opposition refused to recognise the […]
From the age of 5, he has rubbed shoulders with the most feted and feared world leaders, from the Obamas and two successive popes to Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin. By 7 he had been gifted a handgun made of gold by Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russia’s president at the time. This week, Nikolay Lukashenko, the youngest son of the “last dictator in Europe,” came of age during the worst period of his father’s reign. With 100,000 protesters demanding Alexander Lukashenko’s resignation and free and fair elections in Minsk, the 15-year-old flew over the crowds in a helicopter, all dressed up […]
Just when you thought things in Belarus couldn’t get anymore surreal, they did. As crowds of protestors gathered near his residence in Minsk on Sunday evening, a defiant Alexander Lukashenko landed by helicopter, ready for action. The bizarre footage, posted by a Telegram channel close to Lukashenko’s press service, shows the President dressed in a tactical vest and carrying an AK assault rifle. It appears that Lukashenko – in power for 26 years – is channelling Salvador Allende, the former Chilean President deposed in a 1973 CIA-backed coup. In one video, Lukashenko is first seen flying over Minsk while speaking into […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0f/1080177551_0:0:3092:1740_1200x675_80_0_0_903bc1075ea7f359a45dfb98184dc20f.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Tim Korso. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008221080249701-lukashenko-reveals-what-putin-told-him-before-belarusian-president-addressed-supporters/ The president showed up at a rally of his supporters in Grodno following two weeks of opposition-organised protests and strikes in the country. Lukashenko accused foreign countries of funding the riots with the aim of ousting him under the made-up pretext of rigging the election. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has revealed why he hesitated so long to address his supporters, saying that he had foreseen the possibility of clashes between them and demonstrators backing the opposition. Answering a question from an RT correspondent after a rally in the western Belarusian city of […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/10/1080186420_0:0:3037:1709_1200x675_80_0_0_602373b21c4275c6c1b80959bd0c501d.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008221080248949-belarus-will-react-without-warning-to-attempts-aimed-at-violating-its-border-lukashenko-says-/ Earlier in the day, Lukashenko said that putting the army on combat alert and deploying troops on Belarus’ western borders was his main decision in 25 years. Belarus will react without warning to any attempt to trespass its border, President Alexander Lukashenko said when responding to a report by the country’s Defence Ministry about an increased number of aircraft spotted close to the country’s borders. “Without warning! If they trespass the border, react without warning!” Lukashenko said during his visit to a military training ground in Grodno on Saturday. Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin […]
President Alexander Lukashenko has likened recent events in Belarus to color revolutions, saying protesters are trying to follow a similar, foreign-backed template to overthrow the government. “Everything is clear. As we expected, everything is following the plan of color revolutions by whipping up domestic political tensions in the country,” Lukashenko said. The embattled leader, who has headed Belarus for 26 years, also accused foreign countries of interfering with its internal affairs and of seeking “regime change.” ‘Color Revolution’ is a term used to describe anti-government movements throughout the world, particularly in the former Eastern Bloc. Upheavals in countries like Armenia, Georgia, […]
Belarus’ Armed Forces have been put on full combat alert by the decision of President Alexander Lukashenko, the press service of Ministry of Defense of the Republic reported on Saturday. For the fir time, the country puts its military on high alert since the Cold War era. President Lukashenko had earlier instructed his defense minister, Viktor Khrenin, to place Belarus’s military in a state of high alert. Lukashenko, facing mass protests, deployed the military to the country’s borders with the European Union and ordered major military exercises as concerns about “unspecified” security threats. He also has called on the defense ministry’s […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008221080245952-lukashenko-says-deployment-of-troops-on-belarus-western-borders-was-his-main-decision-in-25-years/ Earlier in the day, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko instructed the country’s military command to take “the most stringent measures” to protect the territorial integrity in light of mass anti-government protests. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that putting the army on combat alert and deploying troops on the country’s western borders was his main decision in 25 years. The statement was made after Lukashenko arrived at a military training area near the western Belarusian city of Grodno earlier in the day for an inspection ahead of planned military drills. He earlier warned of the […]
Lithuania has apparently decided not to wait for its European partners, which are still deliberating over their collective response to the protests in Belarus, and has imposed an entry ban against President Alexander Lukashenko. Seemingly deciding to set an example to the rest of Europe, Vilnius raced to compile a blacklist of Belarusian officials in response to the ongoing protests in the neighboring nation, issuing it before the European Union had come up with a list of its own. The move was announced by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who said his country welcomed the EU’s “determination” in taking action against […]
Protesters gather in front of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant to support workers leaving the plant after their work shift in Minsk, Belarus, on Wednesday. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP hide caption toggle caption Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Protesters gather in front of the Minsk Tractor Works Plant to support workers leaving the plant after their work shift in Minsk, Belarus, on Wednesday. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP The European Union on Wednesday said it does not recognize the results of Belarus’ Aug. 9 presidential election, calling the poll fraudulent as it promised to sanction individuals responsible for the violence that has followed. “These elections were neither free nor […]
On Tuesday, embattled Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko said that he had ordered the deployment of troops on the country’s western border in full combat readiness. In a televised meeting, Lukashenko said the units were on full alert and ready to fulfil their obligations. According to Lukashenko, Belarus had deployed armed units on its western borders with Poland and Lithuania in response to statements by foreign governments about the situation inside the country. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Lukashenko claimed Sunday that NATO forces were 15 minutes from Belarus’ western borders with Poland and Lithuania. “NATO troops are at our gates. […]
This doesn’t sound like a man who’s going to go quietly. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko warned protesters Monday that he will not give in to their demands for a new presidential election—unless they assassinate him. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Minsk over the weekend to protest against the disputed elections held earlier this month. Protesters have been infuriated by alleged poll-rigging and police violence at the ensuing protests, but Lukashenko has defied any suggestion that the vote could be re-run. “We held elections already. Until you kill me, there will be no other elections,” he […]
CSKA Moscow striker Ilya Shkurin has made a stand against the disputed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, saying he will refuse to play for his country until he steps down from power. Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus for 26 years, has sparked week-long street protests over a disputed election result that protesters say was rigged in his favor. He has also rejected calls for the election to be re-run, referencing official results that gave him around 80% of the vote. CSKA striker Shkurin has made a protest of his own, stating he will not represent Belarus on the international stage until […]
On Saturday, the Belarusian president ordered an air assault brigade to be transferred from Vitebsk region in the country’s northeast to Grodno region near Belarus’s borders with Poland and Lithuania after expressing concerns about increasing military activity in those two NATO nations. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced that a buildup of NATO forces, including tanks and aircraft, is taking place on his country’s western borders, and warned that he will not allow foreign powers to interfere in the country’s internal political affairs. “Look around: there are tanks, there aircraft are taking off 15 minutes from our borders. And this is […]
Belarus is deploying paratroopers and Special Operations Forces to Grodno, close to the border with Poland and Lithuania. Charging that Europian countries were responsible for escalations of the dangerous situation in the border regions, President Alexander Lukashenko ordered to send paratroopers from Vitebsk to Grodno, the state news agency Belta reported. “What’s happening in these territories [in the west], we cant calmly watch this. Our military is also worried about this problem. Therefore, I will ask additionally, since the tense situation on the western border, to transfer the airborne brigade from Vitebsk to Grodno,” Lukashenko told Belarus’ television on 15 August. […]
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said an air assault brigade will be moved to the country’s border, amid massive anti-government protests that the leader has dubbed a “color revolution” directed by foreign agents. Speaking to state media on Saturday, Lukashenko said he was “worried” that NATO was carrying out military exercises in Poland and Lithuania, regarding it as an arms build-up on Belarus’ borders. The president said that Belarus “cannot calmly observe this” and do nothing, adding that he has ordered the transfer of an airborne brigade from Vitebsk to Grodno. Lukashenko also slammed foreign countries which he said were attempting […]
Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus leader who claims to have won a disputed presidential election, said on Saturday that Vladimir Putin had promised him to help securing safety of Belarus if needed, the state news agency Belta reported. “As far as military matters are concerned, we have an agreement with Russia within the framework of the Union State and the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization]. . . that covers these incidents,” Mr Lukashenko said on Saturday after speaking to Putin, according to state news agency Belta. The phone call came after Lukashenko said he needed to contact Moscow over growing protests against his rule. – […]
Prominent Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky has compared Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to an unwanted girl looking for someone to marry, claiming that he is courting Russia, Poland, the EU, and the US. Zhirinovsky, the leader of Russia’s right-wing LDPR, explained that Lukashenko is in a “difficult situation,” like “a girl of marriageable age” who is entirely undesired. Belarus is currently in a state of turmoil following the presidential election on August 9, which resulted in a landslide victory for Lukashenko. The vote is widely regarded both in Belarus and abroad as being neither free nor fair. Since the election results were […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0f/1080178891_0:0:3072:1729_1200x675_80_0_0_d6ffa69554b2cef9bca0fdd3e3a4cc9f.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/viral/202008151080179235-chuck-norris-vows-to-make-belarusian-president-lukashenko-cry-in-a-video-address-amid-protests/ Protests have swept across Belarus following the outcome of the presidential vote in the country that saw the incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko secure his sixth term in the office he has occupied since 1994. US actor and martial artist Chuck Norris has made a video address to the incumbent Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko that has been shared on social media. The 80-year-old Walker, Texas Ranger star filmed himself surrounded by the images of weapon-wielding movie characters he portrayed. “You know, when I slice onions, onions cry. So if you don’t stop what you are doing […]
Mass anti-government protests in Belarus are actually a “color revolution” in action, and Russia may be the next target if the country fails to halt its progress, President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed. Lukashenko, whose reelection for a sixth term last Sunday sparked mass protests over an alleged rigging of the vote, believes his detractors are unwitting agents of foreign puppeteers and need to be stopped. “Don’t you lull us with [talk about] peaceful action and demonstrations. We can see what is happening deep down,” the Belarus leader said on Saturday at a government meeting, as cited by local media. We have […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0f/1080177551_0:0:3092:1740_1200x675_80_0_0_903bc1075ea7f359a45dfb98184dc20f.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008151080177627-lukashenko-says-seeking-to-discuss-current-situation-in-belarus-with-putin/ MINSK (Sputnik) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that he was seeking to discuss the current situation in Belarus with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The aggression against Belarus is going in line with a scenario. I need to contact Putin urgently, because this threat is relevant not only for Belarus”, Lukashenko said as quoted by Belta. According to the Belarus leader, those who encourage people to take to the streets are “sometimes working professionally,” using fake news and fake footage of the events. On Sunday, Belarus held the presidential election. According to […]
President of Belarus Aleksander Lukashenko has ordered to use elite Alpha Group to deal with growing nationwide protests after Sunday’s re-election. An elite unit of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus was spotted in the central areas of the Minsk on the evening Monday. The Alpha Group fighters were armed with live-fire weapons. The main task of the Alpha Group was designed to localize and prevent terrorist and extremist actions and other particularly dangerous manifestations. Among the main tasks of the unit are the detention of persons suspected of committing such crimes as espionage, hostage-taking, drug trafficking, smuggling, […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008101080119098-lukashenko-on-minsk-unrest-we-will-not-let-this-tear-belarus-apart/ Earlier, the headquarters of Belarusian opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya indicated that she would not recognize the results of Sunday’s election, and Source link
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has secured a landslide election victory, according to preliminary results released by the Central Electoral Commission. The aftermath has been marred by anti-government protests. Lukashenko won re-election with 80 percent of the vote, while the main opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, received nearly 10 percent of the ballots cast. The preliminary results were released after massive protests broke out in Minsk and other cities during the night. Police used tear gas, water cannons, and other crowd control methods to disperse the demonstrators. Also on rt.com Violent clashes with riot police in Belarus as protesters rally over projected Lukashenko […]
The Belarus military is deploying additional troops to the border with Russia over invasion concerns. The Novaya Gazeta newspaper has shared a short video showing a convoy of military trucks and armored vehicles moving towards the Russian border. Official Minsk fears that Russia may take advantage of the instability in the country and carry out the Ukrainian scenario to occupy part of the territories ahead of August’s presidential election. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The state-controlled Belta news agency said last week that Belarus has arrested dozens of Russian mercenaries after receiving information that more than 200 fighters had […]
A sea of people has filled a park for a rally in support of Svetlana Tikhanovskya, opposition candidate in the Belarussian election set for next week, in what is reported to be the biggest anti-government protest in a decade. Thousands of people flocked to the ‘Druzhba’ [Friendship] park in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on Thursday to voice support for Tikhanovskya, who has emerged as a top challenger to the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko after several prominent opposition candidates were disqualified from the race. According to estimates by Belarusian human rights group ‘Viasna,’ at least 63,000 people joined the rally-slash-concert. Attendees sang along […]
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has ordered a thorough probe into what he called an “emergency situation” as security chief confirmed arrests of 32 suspected ‘Wagner’ private military recruits in a televised briefing. Lukashenko on Wednesday told the head of the Belarusian National Security Service, the KGB, to launch a transparent and unbiased probe into the incident, which the media has been quick to tie to the upcoming presidential election. “If these are indeed Russian citizens… we must immediately contact the Russian officials and demand that they explain what is going on,” Lukashenko said at the emergency meeting of national security chiefs […]
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has told his opposition they are wrong about his ratings, asking them to stop calling him names, as he “never insulted anybody personally.” “I still lead the republic, and in no country is it allowed to insult people,” Lukashenko said during a meeting with the opposition in the city of Brest. He urged the public not to insult him with the phrase “mustachioed cockroach” or other words. Lukashenko also mentioned that the opposition should tell him about existing problems, rather than trying to lower his ratings ahead of the upcoming elections. “Listen, no one will solve these […]