...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
of massing on his country’s western border.
Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenko of rigging a presidential election last Sunday, something he denies.
Lukashenko earlier spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin
" ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...who told the Belarusian leader that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, the Kremlin said in a statement.
As Lukashenko’s supporters waited for his expected appearance at the Sunday rally, many chanted Lukashenko’s nickname of "Batka," or father, and "Maidan won’t take place," referring to the months of protest in Ukraine in 2013-14 that drove then-President Viktor Yanukovych to flee the country.