Putin is ready to support Lukashenko with police forces

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, stated in an interview with public television that Russia is willing to intervene with police forces in neighbouring Belarus if the situation gets out of control.

"Alexandr Grigorevich (patronymic of the Belarusian president, Lukashenko) asked me to form a contingent of law enforcement officers. And I did. But we also agreed that this will not be used until the situation gets out of control," Putin said in an interview with Rossia 1 channel.

Putin admitted that Lukashenko asked him for help when anti-government protests broke out in Minsk and other Belarusian cities after the presidential elections on 9 August. "Lukashenko said he would like us to offer him the necessary assistance if needed. I told him that Russia would fulfil its obligations," he explained.

He said that these forces would not be deployed as long as "extremist elements" did not organise violent disturbances. "In the conversation we came to the conclusion that there is no such need now and I hope that there is not. And that is why we are not using this reserve," he said.

The head of the Kremlin admitted that Russia has "obligations" towards Belarus in the framework of multilateral agreements and treaties - the Collective Security Treaty Organisation - and bilateral ones, among which he mentioned the State Union.

He stressed that these treaties oblige their member states to "assist each other in the defence of sovereignty, external borders and stability". "There is no need to hide anything. There is no need to hide anything.

As for the current situation, he stressed that things in Belarus are returning to normal and expressed his confidence that the country will soon recover its stability. "I hope that all the problems, and there are, of course, problems, otherwise people would not take to the streets, that is something that is totally obvious, will be resolved within the framework of the constitutional and legal terrain, and by peaceful means," he said.

He also criticised the attitude of the Western powers, which he accused of attempting to influence the events under way in Belarus, in view of which Russia, in his opinion, has behaved in a more "moderate" and "neutral" manner. "We are not indifferent to what is happening there. It is a very close country; it may be the closest country to us," he said.