Lukashenko, a Putin supporter, declared victory in the Belarusian poll, which the West labels a sham

Alexander Lukashenko, a Russian ally and leader of Belarus, prolonged his 31-year rule on Monday after winning a presidential election that Western nations denounced as a fraud.

Initial results showed that Lukashenko received 86.8% of the vote, with none of the four other candidates on the ballot posing a significant threat.

Since independent media are prohibited in the former Soviet republic and all prominent opposition individuals have been imprisoned or forced to leave the country, European lawmakers said the vote was not free nor fair.

“Belarusians had no other option. For everyone who yearns for liberty and democracy, it is a painful day,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya demanded that Western sanctions be extended to Belarusian businesses and people that provide ammunition for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and oppress Lukashenko’s opponents.

“As long as Belarus is under Lukashenko and Putin’s control, there will be a constant threat to the peace and security of the entire region,” she stated.

The group will continue to impose “restrictive and targeted measures against the regime” while assisting the exiled opposition and civic society, according to a statement released by EU foreign affairs director Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos.

“DON’T GIVE A DAMN.”

Lukashenko said on Sunday that his opponents had “chosen” their own destiny when he was questioned about their imprisonment. He disputed that his decision to free over 250 individuals convicted of “extremist” activities was an attempt to lessen his isolation by sending a message to the West.

He said, “I don’t give a damn about the West,” during a lengthy press conference that went on for more than four hours.

“We have never turned down Western connections. We’ve always been prepared. However, this is not what you desire. So, should we crawl on our knees or bow before you?

While keeping his nine-million-person nation from being absorbed by its much larger neighbor, Lukashenko has been able to establish himself as a valuable friend of Russia throughout his career and get crucial benefits in the form of loans and cheap oil.

However, Putin’s invasion, which was partially conducted from Belarusian territory, has brought him closer to the conflict in Ukraine than ever before. In Belarus, Putin has also placed Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

Notwithstanding his denial, Lukashenko’s opponents and political analysts see his recent reelection as an attempt to regain his legitimacy and persuade the United States and major European nations to send their ambassadors back to Minsk for the first time in years, as well as his prisoner pardons as a step toward beginning to mend fences with the West.

There are still over 1,250 political prisoners in Belarus, according to human rights organization Viasna, which is prohibited as a “extremist” organization there.

Belarus “just unilaterally released an innocent American” on Sunday, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who identified the person as Anastassia Nuhfer. He would not elaborate on the matter, which had not been made public before.

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