In an interview with Russian journalists, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko opens up for in-depth cooperation with Russia.

According to the radio channel Govorit, one of several Russian state media, he also says that he is the only one who can protect the country right now and that he has no plans to resign from his post.  

-I will not resign in this way.

I have been building Belarus for a quarter of a century.

I will not let go of everything just like that.

If I resign, my followers will be massacred!

"Will leave his post"

According to SVT's foreign correspondent Bert Sundström, the interview with Lukashenko can be interpreted as him realizing that the time is up.

- He will leave his post, but this will probably be delayed and it will require negotiations with Russia and that a kind of orderly takeover of this post is arranged, says Bert Sundström in Aktuellt.

Bert Sundström states that there is enormous pressure on Alexander Lukashenko that has been going on for just over a month.

Something that put him in a very vulnerable position.

Mr Lukashenko himself has said that there could be a new presidential election in the country - but in that case only after changes have been made to the constitution.

A constitutional reform that could open the door to a successor.

- There is a lot that does not go his way and it seems that he is about to throw in the towel but not today, not within a month but pretty soon, says Bert Sundström.

No leader of the opposition

It was also confirmed today that another opposition politician has been arrested in Belarus, something that could be significant for the protests in the country.

- These demonstrations have not really been led by any leader but are quite spontaneous so they will probably continue.

But of course, when there is no leader figure in place in Belarus, it creates a kind of void, says Bert Sundström and continues:

- She who remains as a kind of symbol is in Lithuania and many others are in prison so it makes it (the protest movement) weaker.