After Lukashenko was sworn in a secret ceremony as President, the US said it cannot consider him the “legitimate” leader of Belarus since the August 9 elections were “neither free nor fair”.

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Protesters clashed with police as thousands took to the streets after Lukashenko’s latest move. Lukashenko who has ruled Belarus for 26 years held his swearing-in ceremony unannounced after claiming a landslide victory in the polls.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who had fled into exile after the election said that the secret inauguration was “an attempt to seize power”.

Lukashenko said Belarus was “on the brink of a global crisis” while adding, “I cannot, I have no right to abandon the Belarusians,” even as thousands of demonstrators carrying red-and-white opposition flags protested. 

Reports said several people were injured as security officials fired water cannons with at last 10 people taken in custody as Lukashenko during the oath-taking ceremony said he would  “faithfully serve the people of the Republic of Belarus, respect and protect the rights and freedoms of the person and of the citizen” and defend the constitution.”

Germany backed the US decision and said it did not recognise Lukashenko as president and urged the EU to impose sanctions on the country which was agreed upon earlier.

Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius said: “Such a farce. Forget elections…His illegitimacy is a fact with all the consequences that this entails.”

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the swearing-in was “absolutely the sovereign decision of the Belarusian leadership”.