Source: Voice of Germany
Belarusian President Lukashenko accused NATO for deploying tanks and planes to NATO on Sunday (August 16), but NATO has denied it.
The 65 -year -old Lukashenko spoke at a supporter rally held in the city center of Minsk, refuting the opposition's call for re -election and urging Belarusians to defend their country.
He said to the general public of 5,000 people: I call you here, not to defend me, but for the first time to defend your country and its independence for the first time in the quarter.
While speaking, tens of thousands of protesters in several cities gathered on the street again and asked him to step down.The opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to the neighbor Lithuania on August 11. She hopes to re -calculate the voting and be setting up a national committee to promote power transfer.
NATO said that he is paying close attention to the incident of Belarus, but denies in military assembly in Eastern Europe.A NATO spokesman said in a statement: NATO's military existence in many countries in the East of the Alliance constitutes a threat to any country, but strictly defensive, commensurate, and aims to prevent conflicts and maintain peace.
Lukashenko, who has served as Belarusian leader for 26 years since the Soviet Union, has denied election fraud.He said that foreign interference is the culprit of turmoil.
He told the supporters: If we scratch them, we will enter a state of out of control ..... As a country, a nation, a country, we may perish.
A Belarusian spokesman said to the crowd: The motherland is in danger!EssenceThe supporters shouted: we united and waved the national flag.
The 68 -year -old Alla Georgievna told Reuters reporter: I support Lukashenko, I don't understand why everyone gets up against him.Thanks to him, we can get pensions and wages on time.
On the other hand, the activities of the opposition attracted a large number of crowds. Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters held a free parade across the country, and once again put pressure on Lukashenko to ask him to step down.
The Associated Press estimates that more than 100,000 people participated in the event held in Minsk. The protesters of the protesters held a sign of victory and held flowers and balloons.Many people wear white clothes, and this color has become a symbol of the opposition movement.
The demonstrator holds the slogan, which says that our opposition to violence and Lukashenko must be responsible for torture and death.
According to local media reports, other major towns in the former Soviet countries with a population with a population of 9 million have also appeared on large -scale assemblies. This is the ninth consecutive day of anti -government protests.
The Voice of Germany said on Twitter in Moscow reporter Xuewen that there were signs that after the resignation of several high -profile staff, the National Television Channel may disregard the government's control, and the broadcast also contained more protest reports.
The European Union said that Belarusian presidential election is neither free nor fair, and is preparing to impose sanctions on the suppression of the election.
The Vice Chairman of the European Commission, Borel, praised the protest on Twitter. He said: Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians today demonstrate peaceful demonstrations today, demanding release of political prisoners, suing those who are responsible for police atrocities, and holding real elections.
He added: The European Union stood on the side of the Belarusian people.
French President Macron said that the European Union should support Belarus's anti -government demonstration.He said: The European Union must continue to mobilize, support hundreds of thousands of Belarusians to protest peacefully, and demand respect for their rights, freedom and sovereignty.
Olaf Scholz, German Finance, described Lukashenko as a bad dictator who lost the people.
He told the picture newspaper: I firmly believe that the president has no legitimacy, otherwise he will not use such incredibly brutal might to rule.
German Foreign Minister Mas also told the media that the European Union will sanction specific individuals.He said: This is not economic sanctions, because it will mainly affect the Belarusian people. As the European Union, we hope to punish a specific individual who is proved to be involved in manipulating elections and violent infringement of demonstrators.
Earlier on August 16, Russia said that if necessary, Russia would provide military assistance to Belarus.Moscow also said that external pressure is pressured by the country, but did not say where.
Lukashenko told National Television that he will adjust an air assault to the western border of Belarus.According to the Russian News Agency, the Belarusian army also plans to hold a weekly exercise from the 17th to strengthen the boundaries of defense with Poland and Lithuania.
When asked how to prevent Russia from getting involved in it, German Treasury Secretary Shrz said: Military interference in other countries is completely unacceptable, which destroys all the rules we formulated in accordance with international law.
