Trump says U.S. watching 'terrible' situation in Belarus closely

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States will be closely watching the "terrible" situation in Belarus, where a political crisis erupted after a presidential election on Aug. 9 that protesters say was rigged. "It's terrible. We'll be following it very closely," Trump said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States will be closely watching the "terrible" situation in Belarus, where a political crisis erupted after a presidential election on Aug. 9 that protesters say was rigged.

"It's terrible. That's a terrible situation, Belarus. We'll be following it very closely," Trump said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said the United States is discussing the situation in Belarus with the European Union after the disputed election and subsequent crackdown on protesters.

Speaking in Warsaw, his last stop on a tour of central Europe, Pompeo said Washington was tracking the situation in Belarus and that the aim of U.S. contacts with the EU was to "try to help as best we can the Belarusian people achieve sovereignty and freedom." Security forces have clashed with protesters in Minsk and other cities after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide re-election victory in a vote that his opponents say was rigged.

Lukashenko said on Monday he would be willing to hand over power after a referendum in an apparent bid to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge to his 26 years in office. The situation in Belarus, a strategically important country that carries Russian energy exports to the West, is fluid after the biggest demonstration yet against his rule on Sunday.

Protesters say Lukashenko massively rigged the vote to ensure a phony landslide win. Opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was the real winner, they say.