Lukashenko angling for Putin support as state unrest deepens

Belarus’ authoritarian president has visited Russia in a bid to secure more loans and political supp or t as demonstrations against the extension of his 26-year rule entered a sixth week.

A l e x a n d e r L u k a s h e n k o’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi come a day a f t e r a n e s t i ma t e d 1 5 0,0 0 0 p e o p l e f l o o d e d t h e s t r e e t s o f t h e B e l a r u s i a n c a p i t a l demanding his resignation.

The Interior Ministr y said 774 people were arrested in Minsk and other cities of Belarus for holding unsanctioned rallies on Sunday.

Protesters in B elarus have dismissed Mr Lukashenko’s re-election for a sixth term in the 9 August vote as rigged.

He has dismissed protesters as Western puppets and rejected demands from the United States and the Euro - pean Union to conduct a dialogue with the opposition.

In a bid to win Moscow’s support, the 66-year-old former state farm director has tried to cast the protests as an effort by the West to isolate Russia, which sees the neighbour as a key bulwark against Nato and a maj or co nduit for energ y exports to Europe.

Russia and B elarus have a union treaty envisaging close political, economic and militar y ties but they have often engaged in acrimonious disputes.

B e f o r e t h e e l e c t i o n , M r L u k a s h e n k o r e p e a t e d l y accused the Kremlin of pressi n g B e l a r u s t o a b a n d o n i t s independence.

But with the US and the EU criticising the election as neither free nor fair and readying a package of sanctions, Mr Lukashenko now has to rely squarely on Russia’s support.

Despite the frictions in the past, the Kremlin abhors the p r o s p e c t o f p u b l i c p r o te s t s forcing the resignation of the nation’s leader, fearing it could embolden Mr Putin’s critics at home.

Mr Putin quickly congratulated Mr Lukashenko on his re - election and promised to send Russian police to Belarus if protests there turn violent, noting that there is no need for that yet.

Moscow has also signalled it is ready to discuss the restructuring of Belarus’ £772.6 million debt to Russia, a key issue in Monday’s talks between the leaders.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, t h e m a i n o p p o s i t i o n c h a l - lenger who moved to Lithuania a day after the vote under pressure from the Belarusian authorities, warned Mr Putin any agreements he may reach with Mr Lukashenko will not stand.

“I’m very sorry that you have opted to have a dialogue with the dictator and not the Belarusian p eo ple,” she said on Monday.

“A n y a g r e e m e n t s s i g n e d with Lukashenko, who lacks legitimacy, will be retracted by the new government.”