Alexander Lukashenko will travel to Russia on Monday, September 14. The Kremlin confirmed the official visit on Friday, telling journalists that the Belarusian president isn’t expected to sign any documents or hold a press conference while in Russia. According to the news agency RBC, Lukashenko will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Belarus has been engulfed in mass protests since August 9, when the state authorities declared a landslide victory for Lukashenko in a hotly contested presidential election. The political opposition has refused to recognize the official results, citing widespread fraud. Security forces and police officers have violently suppressed demonstrations and jailed or expelled all top opposition leaders.