Alexander Lukashenko

Veteran Belarus leader Lukashenko signals this may be his final term

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview published in the weekend that he did not intend to seek another term, and denied he was lining up his son as…

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Belarus leader praises Trump’s handling of Ukraine crisis

Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko said in remarks published on March 5 that Moscow and Minsk benefit from how the US treats Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the…

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Lukashenko wins a 7th term in Belarus election

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko extended his 31-year rule with a massive win in a presidential election that Western governments have rejected as a sham, according to preliminary results on Monday.…

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Belarusian leader Lukashenko pardons 32 people jailed for ‘extremism’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 32 people who were convicted of extremism, according to the Pul Pervogo Telegram account which reports widely on his activities. It was the sixth…

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Lukashenko on Russia’s Nuclear Policy Changes: A Long Overdue Shift

Changes announced by Russia to its nuclear weapons policy were long overdue and will probably "cool the ardour" of its Western enemies, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview…

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Belarus’s Lukashenko pardons 30 more people convicted over protests

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 more people convicted for protest activity, state news agency Belta said on Wednesday. Human rights activists say there are about 1,400 people in…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko says will release ill opponents from prison

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that he was likely to issue an amnesty to some of his jailed political opponents who had taken part in protests against his re-election but…

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Putin in Belarus to discuss security, tactical nuclear weapon exercises

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus, Moscow's closest ally, for talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko expected to focus on security and exercises with tactical nuclear weapons. Minsk…

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Lukashenko to run for president in 2025

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko said he would run for president again in 2025, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported. Lukashenko made his comments after voting in parliamentary and local council…

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Belarus leader Lukashenko calls for armed street patrols, warns of ‘extremist’ crime

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko called on law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to organise patrols with small arms on the streets of Belarusian cities to ensure the…

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Belarus leader says nuclear arms will not be used

(Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin's staunchest ally in its war in Ukraine, said he was certain Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed in his country would never be…

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Belarus leader, long the supplicant, feted in Russia after mutiny role

By Andrew Osborn LONDON, (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is usually the one thanking Russia's Vladimir Putin or asking him for a favour - be it a loan, cheap…

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Belarus leader appears in public, denies reports of serious illness

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko appeared in public on Tuesday and dismissed talk he was seriously ill, telling officials, "I'm not going to die, guys," according to a video shown by…

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Belarus leader Lukashenko says he had long chat with Putin on war anniversary

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he held a long conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, the one-year anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.…

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Belarus leader says he has been asked to seal a non-aggression pact with Ukraine

(Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that he had been asked to conclude a non-aggression pact with Ukraine, the Belta state news agency reported, citing comments that suggested he…

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Belarus’s Lukashenko dismisses ‘conspiracy theories’ about manoeuvres

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that recent military manoeuvres were not aimed at Ukraine and dismissed "conspiracy theories" about deployments of Belarusian armed forces…

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Lukashenko orders purge in security service after senior officer flees Belarus

Belarus’ strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko has launched a massive purge of potential “traitors” after a high-ranking officer of the country's KGB security agency escaped to the European Union. Lukashenko has ordered…

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Russia’s war ally Belarus to hold armed forces inspection

LONDON, (Reuters) - Russian ally Belarus, which has let Moscow's army launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory, said it was beginning a military inspection to ensure "combat readiness". President…

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Belarus opposition leader says Lukashenko ‘weakened’ by his support for Putin’s war

PARIS (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, is in a politically "very fragile" position due to Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine, Belarus' exiled opposition leader…

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Belarus leader stands with Russia in its military drive in Ukraine

The president of Belarus -- Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's closest ally -- said on Sunday his ex-Soviet state stood fully behind Russia in its military drive in Ukraine as part…

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Lukashenko says Belarus army must prevent any attack on Russia from the rear

March 10 (Reuters) - Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko told his defence ministry on Thursday that the Belarus army must prevent any attack on Russian forces from the rear, the state news agency…

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Germany’s spy chief says Moscow hasn’t made decision on Ukraine attack

BERLIN, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Russia is prepared to attack Ukraine but has not yet decided whether to do so, the head of Germany's foreign intelligence service (BND) said amid…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko repeats threat to block gas transit to Europe

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko has again warned that Minsk could suspend the transit of gas across its territory to Europe in response to new Western…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko ready to halt Russian energy flows if Poland closes border

MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he was ready to suspend Russian energy flows if Poland closes its border with Belarus, Russia's RIA news agency reported…

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Belarus says it does not want confrontation, wants EU to take migrants

Belarus does not want confrontation with Poland but it does want an answer from the European Union on whether the bloc will accept 2,000 stranded migrants, President Alexander Lukashenko was…

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UPDATED: Belarus leader floats idea of cutting gas to Europe in migrant standoff

MOSCOW, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday raised the possibility he could shut down the transit of natural gas to Europe via Belarus in retaliation against…

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UPDATED: Lukashenko strikes defiant note a year after contested election, Britain slaps sanctions on Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday a Belarusian sprinter who defected at the Olympic Games in Tokyo had been "manipulated" by outside forces and would not have fled abroad otherwise.…

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Belarus leader would ‘not hesitate’ to invite Russian troops if needed

Belarus would not hesitate to invite Russian troops if needed, President Alexander Lukashenko said, although he said there was no need for them now. Russia has maintained close military and…

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UPDATED: Email bomb threat sent after blogger’s plane was diverted over Belarus -Swiss email provider

Privacy-focused email provider Proton Technologies AG said on Thursday that a bomb threat cited by Belarusian authorities as the reason for diverting a Ryanair jet carrying a journalist and blogger…

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UPDATED: Belarus leader denies having known arrested blogger was on board flight

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Wednesday that he had not known that dissident blogger Roman Protasevich was on board the flight that was diverted to Minsk but that he…

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UPDATED: Europe regulator urges airlines to avoid Belarus over safety

Europe's aviation regulator on Wednesday urged all airlines to avoid Belarus airspace for safety reasons, saying the forced diversion of a Ryanair flight had put in question the country's ability…

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Belarusian opposition leader expects new wave of protests

HELSINKI, March 3 (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expects mass protests against veteran President Alexander Lukashenko to start up again in the spring and to be more organised than…

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Belarus leader says he will quit when a new constitution is adopted

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that he would step down as president once a new constitution is adopted and proposed curbing presidential powers as part of the reforms,…

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UPDATED: Lukashenko abruptly sworn in for new presidential term in Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus was sworn in for a new term on Wednesday, the official news agency Belta said, in a sudden inauguration conducted with no prior announcement. The…

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Lukashenko orders army to defend Belarus’ borders

Claims by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that "foreign powers" are organising a build-up of troops on the country's border are baseless, says NATO. Dressed in military fatigues, the president said…

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Lukashenko decries ‘attempt to seize power’

The nascent political opposition in Belarus set up a council inside the country, a move President Alexander Lukashenko denounced as an attempt to seize power 10 days after an election…

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Belarus President hints at new wave of repression

Belarusian president has hinted at a new wave of repression, in another sign he is seeking to outlast a protest movement that has brought him face-to-face with former supporters calling…

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Hundreds gather in Prague, Warsaw to support Belarus protesters

Crowds gathered in Prague and Warsaw on Sunday to show their support for protesters in Belarus who are demanding President Alexander Lukashenko step down after what they say was his…

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