Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a massive loan to Belarus after welcoming embattled ally Alexandar Lukashenko in Sochi. The Belarusian strongman confirmed the two countries would continue joint military drills.
The Kremlin reaffirmed its backing of President Alexander Lukashenko as the leaders of Russia and Belarus met in Russian resort of Sochi on Monday.
Russia's Vladimir Putin said Moscow will grant a loan worth $1.5 billion (€1.26 billion) to the neighboring state. He also backed Lukashenko's initiative to reform the Belarusian constitution, which Lukashenko has launched while facing a large-scale protest movement.
Putin described Lukashenko's initiative as "logical, timely, appropriate."
"I am sure that, considering your political experience, the work in this direction would be organized on the highest possible level," Putin told Lukashenko at the joint press conference.
The opposition movement says Lukashenko rigged the August vote, which he claims to have won fairly with more than 80 percent of ballots cast.
Lukashenko invokes WWII over NATO troops
Moscow will also continue pre-planned joint military drills, according to Putin. The first of these drills was due to start on Monday. At the same time, Putin emphasized that Russian soldiers would "return to their permanent deployment locations" after the drill ends.
Lukashenko noted that disagreements between Moscow and Minsk can involve any issue except security.
"We will not ask anybody if we are going to do the drills or not," said the Belarusian leader. "We have done them and will do them."
Belarus in crisis
Pressure is mounting on President Alexander Lukashenko to step down after 26 years in power. Huge protests that erupted after last week's disputed election show no sign of dying down. DW looks at how the crisis unfolded.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Gapon
Allegations of vote fraud
Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in presidential polls on August 9. According to the official count, the 65-year-old won 80% of the votes while his main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10%. Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/S. Grits
Protests erupt
After the results were announced, Belarusians took to the streets to demand an election rerun monitored by independent observers. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown. The violence, which Lukashenko blamed on foreign interference, was widely condemned internationally, prompting the EU to prepare sanctions against implicated Belarusian officials.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Grits
Violent crackdown
In the first four days of protests, at least two people died and almost 7,000 were detained. But rather than peter out, rallies calling for Lukashenko's resignation have grown. Thousands of protesters have joined daily marches demanding the release of political prisoners and an end to police violence.
Image: Reuters/Tut.by
Nationwide movement
More than 100,000 people took part in a "March for Freedom" on August 16 — one of the biggest ever shows of opposition to Lukashenko's rule. Protesters chanted "Leave!," and waved the red and white historic Belarusian flag that has become a common sight at rallies. Lukashenko scrapped the flag when he came to power, and it has since become a symbol of opposition to him.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Gapon
'I'm for Lukashenko'
Lukashenko's supporters held a rally of their own on August 16, although their numbers were dwarfed by the opposition's march. "I'm for Lukashenko," 68-year-old supporter Alla Georgievna told Reuters. "I don't understand why everyone has risen up against him. We get our pensions and salaries on time thanks to him."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/S. Grits
Workers put down tools
Workers in state-owned industries, considered to be Lukashenko's traditional support base, have started turning against him. Thousands of factory workers took part in walkouts after the opposition called a general strike. Footage from August 17 that was widely shared on social media showed workers at a Minsk tractor plant heckling Lukashenko with shouts of "Leave!" as he tried to give a speech.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/V. Sharifulin
State media join strike
Several hundred journalists, camera operators and other employees at Belarusian state broadcaster BT also walked off the job. Local media said staff had issued demands urging management to end censorship and recognize the election results as invalid. During the strike, "Belarus 1" TV broadcast an empty studio with music playing the background.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/V. Sharifulin
Opposition in exile
Soon after the protests began, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to neighboring Lithuania, citing threats to her safety. In exile, she has renewed calls for fresh elections and said she is "ready to take responsibility and act as a national leader." Lukashenko, meanwhile, has conceded that new polls would be possible — but only after amending the constitution.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/N. Fedosenko
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Commenting to the NATO troops deployed near Russia's borders, Lukashenko called not to repeat the mistakes of World War II.
He said that NATO "does not take us into account, they don't mind our concerns, they do the drills when they want."
"So we as well… will be preparing our armies to be able to — God forbid — resist that," he said.
The Russian president said at the end of August that the country's military would intervene if protests turn violent. The country already benefits from cut-price Russian gas. Moscow also provides subsidies and cheaper loans.
In addition, Russia has offered to restructure Belarusian debt and support the banking system.
Support for Belarusian detainees
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On Sunday, at least 100,000 demonstrators marched through Minsk, with separate protests taking place in other cities. More than 700 people were arrested, according to the Reuters news agency.
The 66-year-old Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years. He accuses the opposition of being backed by the West and anti-Russian.
The cost of receiving more backing from the Kremlin could be Lukashenko's acceptance of even greater Russian dominance.
Moscow has long pushed for closer integration, including a joint currency. Lukashenko has resisted some of those measures and has had a difficult personal relationship with Putin.
