MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone conversation with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday confirmed Moscow’s readiness to provide assistance in solving problems based on the treaty on creating the Union State and in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Kremlin press service said.
"Russia confirmed readiness to provide necessary assistance in ironing out emerging problems based on the principles of the treaty on creating the Union State and also if needed in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization," the statement said.
The two leaders continued discussing the situation in Belarus after the presidential election, "including given the external pressure on the republic," the press service said.
Belarus held the presidential election on August 9. According to the final data of the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.1% of the vote. Svetlana Tihanovskaya, who was considered as his key rival, garnered 10.12% of the vote. She did not recognize the outcome of the polls.
After the results of exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests flared up in downtown Minsk and other cities, which spiraled into clashes with the police. The protests continued for several days and, according to the Interior Ministry, several thousand people were detained while dozens of police officers and protesters were injured.