Biden: Dictator Lukashenka Hides From Citizens in Fear

The power of the usurper is fictitious.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden criticized incumbent President Donald Trump for not responding to Belarus's situation, where protests against the presidential election results have continued since August 9. The politician's statement is quoted by Reuters.

"Yet President Trump refuses to speak out against Lukashenka's actions or to offer his personal support for the pro-democracy movement," Biden said, calling Lukashenka a dictator.

According to Biden, Lukashenka is "hiding in fear from his own citizens, refusing to accept the will of the people." These actions are a sign of weakness, he said.

Lukashenka's "inauguration" ceremony, which took place on September 23 behind closed doors, was considered fictitious by the Democratic candidate. Biden added that he supports peaceful protests in the republic and considers it necessary to hold new elections. He also demanded that the Belarusian authorities release the detained opposition leaders and all political prisoners.

Biden promised that if elected president, he would "defend our democratic values and stand with those who share them."

Earlier this week, the US State Department announced that it does not consider the August 9 elections in Belarus free and fair and that Lukashenka is not legally elected. "The announced results were fabricated and did not reflect legitimacy," the State Department said. Other states, including Ukraine, Germany, Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Canada, Great Britain, and others, did not recognize Lukashenka's "inauguration" either. The EU stated that neither the procedure itself nor the new term of Lukashenka have sufficient legitimacy.