Belarus leader vows to defeat ‘foreign-backed rebellion’

President Alexander Lukashenko appears before the All-Belarus People’s Assembly in Minsk on Thursday (Sergei Sheleg/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)

The president of Belarus has denounced the the six months of protests against his rule as a foreign-directed “rebellion” and vowed to resist the pressure.

Speaking to 2,700 participants of the All-Belarus People’s Assembly, Alexander Lukashenko said “very powerful forces” abroad were behind the demonstrations.