Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting with the country's political activists in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.
Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, claimed in a statement carried by Russian news agencies Wednesday that the U.S. has funded the Belarusian opposition and encouraged the protests.
The Belarusian opposition has condemned Moscow for offering the Belarusian strongman a financial lifeline, warning that it would tarnish future ties between the countries.
โLukashenko is the legitimate president of Belarus,โ Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Belarus Wednesday for talks on deepening military cooperation.