Belarus President Lukashenko Pleads To Putin For Help As Protests Grow

Reuters: Putin, Lukashenko say problems in Belarus will be solved as protests surge

MINSK/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The leaders of Russia and Belarus agreed on Saturday that the problems in Belarus would be resolved soon, the Kremlin said, as tens of thousands took to the streets in Minsk once again to urge President Alexander Lukashenko to quit.

Accused of rigging last Sunday’s election, Lukashenko had earlier issued an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Belarus leader grapples with the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule and the threat of new Western sanctions.

Ties between the two traditional allies had been under strain before the election, as Russia scaled back the subsidies that propped up Lukashenko’s government. Russia sees Belarus as a strategic buffer against NATO and the EU.

Statements by both sides contained a pointed reference to a “union state” between the two countries. Lukashenko has previously rejected calls by Moscow for closer economic and political ties as an assault on his country’s sovereignty.

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WNU Editor: Belarus President Lukashenko is desperate. He has no support. Even Russian media is now openly hostile towards him .... What Has Been The Response In Russia To The Unrest In Belarus (August 14, 2020). Lukashenko is also warning Putin that should he fall he would be next. Will such a scenario play out like that .... my answer is no. The situation in Belarus is very different from what is happening in Russia. Unlike Belarus where the entire population is against Belarus President Lukashenko, Putin still has a lot of supporters in Russia. So what is next? The Kremlin will adopt a wait and see approach. My contacts, family, and friends in Russia are telling me that regardless of what happens to Belarusian President Lukashenko, because of geography and history ties between Belarus and Russia will not change. And in Belarus itself, the demonstrations for President Lukashenko to step down will escalate .... Belarus: Thousands attend protester's funeral amid unrest (BBC).