Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko for winning a seventh term in office, saying Sunday’s election showed he had the “undoubted” backing of the people.
Official results showed the 70-year-old autocrat winning more than 86 percent of the vote, after having imprisoned or exiled all his major opponents.
The Belarusian leader has won every presidential election since 1994, in ballots that the opposition and rights groups say are rigged.
“Your convincing victory in the elections clearly testifies to your high political authority and to the undoubted support of the population for the state policy Belarus is pursuing,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin.
President #Putin congratulates #Lukashenko, praising his “high political authority” and the “undoubted support” from the Belarusian population following a decisive election victory#Russia #Belarus @RT_com pic.twitter.com/KtGtGyLy3N
— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) January 27, 2025
“You are always a welcome and dear guest on Russian soil. As agreed, I look forward to seeing you soon in Moscow.”
Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Putin, has carried out a ruthless crackdown on opponents since huge protests against him in 2020.
This time, the candidates picked to run against him actually campaigned in his favour.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@the_raven28
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