President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that at the first request Russia will help the republic in ensuring security in the event of external military threats.
According to him, he agreed on this during a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin. “When it comes to the military component, we have an agreement with the Russian Federation within the framework of the Union State and the CSTO. These are the moments that fit this agreement. Therefore, today I had a long, detailed conversation about the situation with the President of Russia,” BelTA quotes Lukashenko.
“We will not give the country to anyone. I do not want to say that there is room for some kind of complacency, calmness. No, we never calmed down. You know, our life and destiny are that we, being in the center of Europe, must always be ready to respond to any challenges in time, ”Lukashenko said.
He also said that the Belarusian authorities “will keep the situation” in the country, and “nothing will come of strikes and protests”. In addition, Lukashenko responded to offers from a number of countries to act as mediators between the government and society to resume a peaceful dialogue and advised them to “put things in order at home.”
Lukashenko also called on the opposition “not to play with fire” and not to try to threaten the security forces and their families, adding that the military has sufficient resources to protect themselves, their families and ensure security in the state.
The situation in Belarus
On August 15, a rally was held in Minsk in memory of Aleksandr Taraikovsky, who was killed during the protests. In the afternoon on Saturday, August 15, on Pushkin Avenue in Minsk, where he died, people began to gather with flowers and red and white balloons. About five thousand people gathered for the commemorative action.
The protesters also gathered outside the Belteleradiocompany building. According to RT, the audience “demanded to tell the truth, to cover the events that are taking place more objectively.”
According to RIA Novosti, the press secretary of the President of Belarus Natalya Eismont and the speaker of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament Natalya Kochanova arrived at the building of the radio company to talk with the staff. According to the company’s employees, the meeting was called urgently.
According to employees, the meeting raised the issue of coverage of protests after the elections in Belarus, when thousands of people were detained.
The protests in the republic began on the evening of August 9 after the announcement of the preliminary results of the presidential elections that took place that day, according to which the incumbent leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, won. The rallies escalated into riots and clashes with the police. For almost a week, citizens, dissatisfied with the organization and the results of the elections, have continued to take to the streets.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, as a result of the riots from August 9 to 13, 121 police officers were injured, and the investigating authorities initiated over 90 criminal cases. More than 6.7 thousand protesters were detained.
