Putin ally Lukashenko declared winner of Belarus vote that West calls a charade

Following Lukashenko's brutal crackdown in which critical voices within Belarus have been silenced, yesterday's sham election failed to meet international standards and has been condemned by international partners,

the Foreign Office said

We have never refused relations with the West. We have always been ready. But you do not want this. So what should we do, bow before you or crawl on our knees?"

he said

The dog pissed on the polling station, and that is what the whole country was talking about the most,

Viačorka said

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayapolitician

This is a dirty, dirty game. Basically, it's human trafficking. He (Lukashenko) arrests not only Belarusians but foreigners to exchange them to foreign governments for some benefit for himself."

Franak Viačorka, senior adviser to Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said of Lukashenko's prisoner release

One of the main messages of President Trump was to stop aggressors and tyranny,

she explained

I see that people are not giving up despite all the repressions and fear inside,

she said

For these reasons, as well as the involvement of the Belarusian regime in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its hybrid attacks against its neighbors, the EU will continue imposing restrictive and targeted measures" against the Belarusian government

the EU officials said

The relentless and unprecedented repression of human rights, restrictions to political participation and access to independent media in Belarus, have deprived the electoral process of any legitimacy,

the statement said

They are not political prisoners, they violated the Criminal Code. If anyone is interested, we can show the criminal case now and show which articles of the law were violated. You can say that our law is bad, but it is the law. I said so,

he said

Vladimir Putinrussian President

Your convincing victory in the elections clearly testifies to your high political authority and to the undoubted support of the population for the state policy Belarus is pursuing,

the Kremlin cited Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying

Annalena Baerbockforeign Minister

The people of Belarus had no choice,

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on Sunday as polling drew to a close

Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Lukashenko on his re-election as President of Belarus,

the Xinhua state news agency said

I don’t give a damn about the West,

he told a rambling news conference that lasted well over four hours

As long as Belarus is under Lukashenko and Putin’s control, there will be a constant threat to the peace and security of the entire region,

she said

Lukashenko wouldn’t want his regime to be left out if some sort of detente starts in the region,

Shraibman said

What in the democratic world you call elections has nothing in common with this event in Belarus,

Tsikhanouskaya said

Alexander Lukashenkopresident

You’re just putting your people at risk,

Lukashenko said, addressing the opposition in exile

We will see light at the end of the tunnel this year,

he said

You can congratulate the Republic of Belarus, we have elected a president,

Igor Karpenko, the head of the country's Central Election Commission, told a news conference in the early hours of Monday

Some chose prison, some chose 'exile', as you say. We didn't kick anyone out of the country,

he told a rambling news conference that lasted more than four hours