Putin opposes foreign meddling in Belarus in phone call with Merkel

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the ongoing protests in Belarus in a phone conversation Tuesday, the Kremlin said.

Putin decried any foreign attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus, which may lead to a further escalation of the crisis, it said in a press release.

Hope was expressed for an early return to normalization in Belarus, the Kremlin added.

Belarus is engulfed in mass protests after incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term during the Aug. 9 elections, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results.

On Monday, Lukashenko said at a rally in Minsk that there would be no re-election. He said he could share presidential power in accordance with the Constitution.