Minsk, Belarus (CNN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday rejected foreign mediation offers to help stabilize the volatile situation in his country. But reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a call, and both men expressed confidence that the situation would "be resolved soon," according to a read out of the call published by the Kremlin. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, is facing mounting calls by protesters to step down following a highly contested presidential election. Belarusian authorities say Lukashenko won 80.1% of the vote, in a poll many consider to be rigged. Protests flared up across Belarus this week, sometimes erupting into violence, with some demonstrators alleging they were beaten and humiliated by security services while in custody.

Source: CNN August 15, 2020 16:18 UTC