World / I need to contact Putin, protests not just threat to Belarus: Prez Lukashenko

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that he needs to speak to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, claiming the protests in Belarus were not just a threat to the country. "Defending Belarus is no less than defending...the union state," he added. Protests began in Belarus following Lukashenko's re-election victory, over allegations of the leader rigging the vote.

Reuters : Aug 15, 2020, 05:59 PM
MINSK- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday he wanted to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning street protests were not just a threat to Belarus.

Mass unrest followed Lukashenko’s re-election victory last week, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets accusing him of rigging the vote.

“There is a need to contact Putin so that I can talk to him now, because it is not a threat to just Belarus anymore,” he said, according to state news agency Belta.

“Defending Belarus today is no less than defending our entire space, the union state, and an example to others ... Those who roam the streets, most of them do not understand this.”