Lukashenko denies the voting was fraudulent and blamed the unrest on meddling by western countries. More than 100,000 Belarusians have taken to the streets every weekend since Belarus’ Aug. 9 vote where the strongman leader claimed a landslide victory. The double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing protests have pushed the already-fragile economy to breaking point. It’s likely that part of this agreement, as others have surmised, might be for Russia to take a more direct role in Belarus’s energy sector (again, the main source of friction between the two), putting Belarus even more under the economic sway of Moscow. In happier times, Lukashenko performed such mundane duties as harvesting potatoes, inspecting tractors, and teasing Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on his anti-COVID policies. It’s also a way to amplify Russian soft power in the region. Given Lukashenko’s adamant refusal to yield to the opposition, he’s had to rely on Russia for moral and economic support, a choice he (and the rest of Belarus) may soon regret. Please consider making a donation to The Moscow Times to help us continue covering this historic time in the world’s largest country. Sporadic labour unrest in support of the protesters, including at the Minsk Tractor Works, has created production disruptions, while the continued uncertainty of just how far Lukashenko will go to suppress the protests has created massive uncertainty for the economy. Opposition parties, the United States and the European Union allege the election was rigged. Belarusian opposition leader and human rights advocate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has expressed regret that President Alexander Lukashenko met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a leading human rights organization accused Belarusian security forces of unlawfully arresting thousands of people and torturing hundreds of others. VOA's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report. Despite massive protests continuing in the Far East, all eyes in Russia are on its western neighbor. Putin and Lukashenko are expected to discuss plans to further integrate their countries as well as key trade and energy projects. Bloomberg reported that Russian leadership was “taken aback” by the scale of the unrest in Belarus. The meeting was their first since mass protests erupted in Belarus after Lukashenko was reelected to a sixth term in an election widely viewed as rigged. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 113,300 academics and researchers from 3,694 institutions.
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