Belarus’ authoritarian president said Friday he is prepared to invite Russian troops into the country, if such a move is necessary to ensure the security of both Belarus and Russia. But, President Alexander Lukashenko said, at the moment “there is absolutely no need” to do that.
In remarks carried by the state-run Belta news agency, Lukashenko stressed that he had dealt with last year’s antigovernment protests without involving other countries’ armed forces, but added that he would not hesitate to bring in Russian troops if necessary. —Agencies
