Protests, violent clashes in Belarus as ruler cracks down after contested vote

Lukashenko now finds himself in a tenuous position, Emily Ferris, a research fellow specializing in the former Soviet space at London's Royal United Services Institute think tank, told NBC News on Monday. Lukashenko has in recent years found himself increasingly dependent on foreign, particularly Western, support in order to remain in power and assert independence from neighboring Russia under President Vladimir Putin. A further crackdown could jeopardize this support. “This is a difficult balance for Lukashenko to strike,” Ferris said, “ensuring that he quells the waves of protests in time and maintains some element of political stability, while also making sure that potential western partners are not put off by his actions.”