KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – The president of Belarus, besathed for six weeks of mass protests that did not facilitate his resignation, announced Thursday that he will put troops on high alert and define the country’s borders with Poland and Lithuania.
President Alexander Lukashenko’s resolution underscores his repeated statement that the wave of protests is taking place across the West and faces growing complaints from the United States and the European Union.
Protests began after the presidential election on August 9, the official effects of which showed the authoritarian leader with a sixth term; the parties to the conflict say the effects have been manipulated.
“We are obliged to remove our troops from the streets, put the army on alert and close the state border to the west, basically with Lithuania and Poland,” Lukashenko said at a women’s forum.
Lukashenko said the Belarusian-Ukraine border will be strengthened.
“I don’t need my country to be at war. Besides, I don’t need Belarus and Poland, Lithuania to an army theater of operations where our disorders will not be resolved,” he said. “Therefore, today in front of this corridor”. of the greatest beautiful, complex and patriotic people, I need to appeal to the peoples of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine: prevent their mad politicians, do not let war either either. “
He mentioned neighboring Latvia, which, like Poland and Lithuania, is a member of NATO.
Earlier Thursday, the main opposition candidate in the disputed presidential election said activists were compiling a list of police officers who were allegedly concerned about violence opposed to protesters reporting election results.
Nearly 7,000 more people were arrested and brutally beaten by police in the early days of post-election protests.
Lukashenko’s main opponent in the election, former English instructor and political rookie Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said: “They gave us the names of those who beat and tortured people. We are preparing a list of law enforcement officers and officials who have taken strong action. »
Human rights teams are working with opposition activists to identify officials and officials, Tsikhanouskaya said, adding that the list would be shared with the United States, the European Union and Russia.
Tsikhanouskaya, who went to Lithuania after elections under pressure from the Belarusian authorities, said the opposition would call the list after Alexander Taraikovsky, a protester who died in Minsk the day after the elections while police dispersed nonviolent protesters.
First, authorities said that an explosive device Taraikovsky intended to throw at police exploded in his hands and killed him, however, the Associated Press video showed that he was not holding any explosives when he fell to the ground, his blouse bloodied.
The Belarusian government later stated that Taraikovsky would possibly have been killed by a rubber bullet. The street of the capital, Minsk, where Taraikovsky died, has become a place of pilgrimage, with thousands of people, adding European ambassadors, depositing flowers there.
After the broad initial crackdown on demonstrations, the Belarusian government replaced and attempted to end dissent by selectively stopping protesters and imprisoning opposition leaders.
The US and EU criticized the presidential election for being neither lax nor fair and suggested Lukashenko initiate talks with the opposition, a call he rejected. Washington and Brussels are considering sanctions against Belarusian officials on accusations of voter fraud and a backlash to protests.
On Thursday, the European Parliament overwhelmingly followed a solution that rejected the effects of the official elections and noted that it would recognize Lukashenko as valid president once his current term expires on Five November.
The Belarusian chancellery responded firmly: “We are disappointed that the European Parliament, positioning itself as a serious, objective and democratic structure, has not been able to locate the political will to look beyond its noses, to triumph over the unilateral character and not to a hostage conventional Clichés.
Russia, Lukashenko’s best friend and sponsor, has been unwavering to the Belarusian leader. Moscow announced this week that it will offer a new $1. 5 billion loan to its government.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Friday during a holiday in Lithuania that the two countries, whether neighbouring Belarus, will continue to offer medical and curtain assistance to Belarusians who were injured and persecuted by protests. offer at least 1 billion euros in financial aid to Belarus and its companies.
“Europe is aware of the importance of a loose and sovereign Belarus for the safety and well-being of our entire continent,” Morawiecki said.
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Vladimir Isachenkov and Jim Heintz in Moscow and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland contributed to this report.
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Follow the entire AP on agitation in Belarus in https://apnews. com/Belarus