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President Alexander Lukashenko has continued to dismiss protesters’ demands for new elections and their demands to resign since the criticized and contested presidential elections on August 9.
Lukashenko ordered half of the Belarusian troops to prepare for combat, following what the president described as a threat from NATO, reports the Belarusian state news agency Belta.
Alexander Lukashenko says Belarus and Russia can join forces if a threat from the West arises, Reuters reports. Currently, however, no Russian army has crossed the border into Belarus, the president said on Friday.
Belarus can respond with sanctions
Following the presidential elections almost three weeks ago, the EU decided to impose sanctions on Belarus. However, it is not yet clear what they will look like.
Lukashenko believes that Belarus can respond in kind. For example, it could be a matter of blocking freight routes through Belarus, says the president. Such a sanction would affect, among other things, neighboring Lithuania. President Lukashenko has also threatened to boycott Lithuanian ports.
On Friday, the President of Lithuania replied:
– The president supports the sanctions against Belarus, at the European, regional and national level. It is a response to violence by state authorities and human rights violations in the country, a spokesman for President Gitanas Nauseda told Reuters.
“Potential nightmare”
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania and current leader of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, has offered to mediate in the conflict. It says it is deeply disturbing that more than a hundred journalists have been arrested, subjected to violence and deported.
– The loss of life, serious injuries and widespread reports of missing persons have been even more alarming and sadder. The photo is ugly. To put it mildly. It’s a potential nightmare for Belarus and its people, she says.
