MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2020) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday urged Russia to refrain from meddling in the situation in Belarus.
"Belarus is a sovereign and independent state. And nobody, including Russia, should interfere there," Stoltenberg told the German Bild newspaper.
The NATO chief also urged Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to give citizens an opportunity to determine the country's future. Stoltenberg also called on Minsk to stop using an alleged deployment of NATO troops in the region as a pretext to disperse peaceful protests. The secretary-general has refuted Lukashenko's claims that NATO is boosting its military presence near Belarus.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had formed a special reserve of law enforcement servicemen upon Minsk's request to help Belarus if required. Putin mentioned that the sides agreed that the special reserve would not be used unless the situation is out of control and unless "extremist groups cross certain lines and cause unrest."
A wave of protests has swept Belarus in the wake of the August 9 presidential election that saw Lukashenko re-elected for a sixth term. The early days of the demonstrations were marked by police violence, but law enforcement officers have since halted their excessive use of force. Over 6,700 people have been detained, and hundreds have been injured, including more than 150 law enforcement officers. According to the Belarusian Interior Ministry, three people have died during the protests.
