Alexander Lukashenko has officially secured his seventh consecutive term as President of Belarus. The election was held on January 26, with the Central Election Commission reporting that he won 86.8% of the vote. Voter turnout was reported at 85.7%, with approximately 6.9 million citizens eligible to vote.
Despite these figures, the election has been condemned by both opposition groups and Western governments as a "sham." Both the EU and the US have issued statements rejecting the results and calling them illegitimate. However, Russia has labeled the election as a convincing victory. With Lukashenko now elected and Belarus currently under an agreement with Russia for nuclear protection, what does this mean for the future of the region?