Putin says Lukashenko should start dialogue with Belarusian opposition

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talk during a meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 13, 2021. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to start a dialogue with his opponents, who swiftly poured cold water on the idea unless Lukashenko freed political prisoners first.

Putin helped Lukashenko ride out mass street protests after a disputed election last year and has also backed Belarus in a standoff with the European Union over thousands of migrants stranded on the EU's eastern borders.