Vladimir Putin has offered his backing to his Belarusian counterpart in the face of demonstrations over his election victory.
In a bid to win Moscow's support, Mr Lukashenko - who insists he won 80% of the election vote fairly - has tried to cast the protests as an effort by the West to isolate Russia.NATORussia and Belarus have a union treaty envisaging close political, economic and military ties, but they have often engaged in acrimonious disputes.
Before the election, Mr Lukashenko repeatedly accused the Kremlin of pressing Belarus to abandon its independence. But with the US and the EU criticising the election as neither free nor fair, and readying a package of sanctions, Mr Lukashenko now has to rely squarely on Russia's support. The Kremlin is thought to fear the prospect of the protests forcing the resignation of Mr Lukashenko, fearing it could embolden Mr Putin's critics at home.
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