Russia says no need for mediation in Belarus, accuses foreign powers of meddling

Published August 19, 2020
Striking workers of the potash producer Belaruskali take part in a rally to protest against presidential election results, in Salihorsk (Soligorsk), Belarus  on August 19, 2020. The placard reads: “Miner, we stand to the end. Time is on our side!” — Reuters
Striking workers of the potash producer Belaruskali take part in a rally to protest against presidential election results, in Salihorsk (Soligorsk), Belarus on August 19, 2020. The placard reads: “Miner, we stand to the end. Time is on our side!” — Reuters

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday there was no need for outside mediation over the unrest in Belarus and accused foreign powers of using the crisis to interfere in Belarus, Russia's TASS and Interfax news agencies reported.

Lavrov said statements by European Union countries were driven by the geopolitics and that he hoped the Belarusian opposition would be ready to enter into talks with the authorities in Belarus.

He further said that authorities recognise that elections in Belarus "could have been held better".

Belarus, a close Russian ally, is mired in a political crisis with protesters angry over what they say was a rigged presidential election on August 9.

They have been calling on veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko to step down. He has refused, saying they are part of a foreign-backed plot to destabilise the country.

France, Germany and European Union Council President Charles Michel have all urged Russia to push for dialogue to end the crisis peacefully, after security services brutally broke up peaceful demonstrations calling for the long-ruling strongman to quit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country could intervene in the crisis, but has also warned against “unacceptable” foreign interference in Belarus or pressure on its leadership.

The EU is already working on a new round of sanctions against Belarus, targeting those involved in allegedly fixing the August 9 vote and in the bloody repression of protests, which have shaken Lukashenko's grip on the ex-Soviet republic as never before.

Quick flight

A Russian government plane used to carry senior government officials, including the head of the FSB security service, has made a quick flight to Belarus and back, landing in Moscow in the early hours of Wednesday, flight tracking data shows.

Tracking data showed the plane, a Tupolev Tu-214 which is also a command and control centre, flew to Minsk from Moscow on Tuesday before landing back in Moscow in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Attention is firmly focused on how Russia will respond to the biggest political crisis facing an ex-Soviet neighbour since 2014 in Ukraine, when Moscow intervened militarily after a friendly leader was toppled by public protests.


With additional input from AFP.

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...