Putin: Russia willing to send police to Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that his Belarusn colleague, Alexander Lukashenko, asked him, if necessary, to send police units as help to calm the crisis in his country.

Lukashenko has faced weeks of protests after announcing his victory in the August 9th elections, which the opposition considers forged.

Putin told Russian state television that Lukashenko had asked him to prepare a police unit to send him to Belarus if necessary.

Russia has a union agreement with Belarus that envisions close political, economic and military ties and views the neighbouring country as a key obstacle to the Western “enlargement” and an important Russian energy buyer.

Today, Lukashenko accused neighbours of openly interfering with Belarus's affairs, demanding new elections and said they were conducting a <x0-> hybrid war against it.

The United States and the European Union have criticised the August 9th elections in Belarus, which expanded Lucas' 26-year rule, saying they were neither free nor fair, and called on authorities to start in dialogue with the opposition.