President Alexander Lukashenko has continued to dismiss protesters' demands for new elections and their demands for his resignation since the criticized and questioned presidential election on August 9.

Mr Lukashenko has ordered half of Belarus's troops to go into combat readiness, following what the president described as a threat from NATO, the Belarussian state news agency Belta reports.

Now Alexander Lukashenko says Belarus and Russia could join forces if a threat from the West arises, Reuters reports. At present, however, no Russian military has crossed the border into Belarus, the president said on Friday.

Belarus can respond with sanctions

Following the presidential election almost three weeks ago, the EU has decided to impose sanctions on Belarus. However, it is still unclear what these will look like.

Lukashenko believes that Belarus can respond with the same coin. For example, it could be about blocking goods transport routes that pass through Belarus, the president says. Such a sanction would, among other things, affect neighboring Lithuania. President Lukashenko has also threatened a boycott of Lithuanian ports.

On Friday, the President of Lithuania replied:

- The President supports sanctions against Belarus, at European, regional and national level. It is a response to state violence and human rights abuses in the country, a spokesman for President Gitanas Nauseda told Reuters.

"Potential nightmare"

Edi Rama, Albania's Prime Minister and current leader of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, has offered to mediate in the conflict. He says it is deeply worrying that more than a hundred journalists have been arrested, subjected to violence and deported.

- The loss of life, serious injuries and widespread reports of missing persons have been even more alarming and sad. The picture is ugly. To put it mildly. It is a potential nightmare for Belarus and its people, he says.