Politics this week

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, continued to cling to power despite large demonstrations and strikes, after he fraudulently claimed victory in an election on August 9th. The European Union’s leaders have refused to recognise the result, and vowed to enact sanctions against officials involved in ballot fraud and in brutal attacks on demonstrators by Belarusian police. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has not indicated whether he will come to his neighbour’s aid. See article.