Who is Alexander Lukashenko? A closer look at the Belarusian dictator who is Putin's closest ally and who grounded a plane in 2021 to arrest a journalist

• Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for over 26 years.
• In 2020, he rigged an election and declared that he won 80% of the vote, naming himself president for a sixth term.
• In May, he grounded a passenger plane in order to detain journalist Roman Protasevich.

Russian forces $4 Ukraine early on Thursday morning, with blasts heard from the capital city of Kyiv to the city of Kharkiv in the east. In an early morning address before the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin $4 he was aiming for the "demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine."

In response to the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky $4 martial law in the country and $4 people to stay calm and stay home.

In the lead-up to Thursday's invasion, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was also a vocal part of the conversation. On Tuesday, Lukashenko $4 and to sever ties with their American "masters."

"Stop! Shoo away these masters from over the ocean. They won't bring you any happiness. As soon as they can't use you any more, they will dump you at the junkyard of history," said Lukashenko, in an speech to Belarus's top military officials.

Lukashenko and Belarus are $4. A column of military vehicles thought to be Russian troops was seen crossing the Senkivka crossing along the border Ukraine shares with Belarus just after dawn on Thursday, according to reporting from $4.

So, just who is Alexander Lukashenko?

A strongman with a military background and Russian ties

The story of Lukashenko's rise to power in Belarus begins in 1990. At the time, he was in his late 30s and was a promising young military man who had just won an election to a parliamentary seat in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.

$4 posts in the Soviet Army and membership in the Soviet communist youth wing. In 1993, he was named head of the Belarusian parliament's anti-corruption commission.

In 1994, Lukashenko was elected president of Belarus with 80.3% of the vote, running on the pledge to "take the country back from the abyss." He has managed to hold on to power since.

Perhaps the best encapsulation of Lukashenko's life might be one that he wrote about himself.

"My life, just like the lives of other presidents, is very busy. You wake up and keep running. What does it feel like to be on the run for 25 years? I got used to it," says a quote from Lukashenko $4

It continues: "This hamster wheel keeps spinning, and there is no escaping it. If you stop, it will keep moving and throw you back. This is a mode of life. I am used to it."

'Europe's last dictator'

Lukashenko faced strong opposition in the 2020 election, and fearing that he might be toppled, he $4, declaring that he won 80% of the vote and giving himself a sixth term.

This move $4. The UK and Canada $4 in late 2020 as Western nations tried to take Lukashenko to task for rigging the elections and $4

According to $4, it is estimated that more than 35,000 Belarusians were arrested during this uprising, with thousands $4. During the protests, Lukashenko attempted on multiple occasions to display a facade of strength, $4

An ally to Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a strong ally of the Belarusian leader. Putin $4 and $4

Russia also sent in Kremlin-linked journalists to change the way the protests were covered in Belarusian state media, per $4.

A $4 from the Guardian indicated Lukashenko was cracking under pressure, though he continued to resist calls to resign. Some media outlets dubbed Lukashenko $4 — though some argue that $4.

His handling of the $4 drew widespread criticism and further calls for him to step down. But Lukashenko has maintained his grip on power. During a visit to a Minsk wheeled-tractor plant last year, he countered a question about fair elections by saying: "I am answering your question. We held elections. Until you kill me, there will be no other elections."

A dictator who grounded a plane to quash one voice of dissent

Lukashenko made international headlines in May when Belarusian authorities, citing a bomb threat that never materialized, diverted a $4. Police officers boarded the plane and $4, who is known for vocally opposing Lukashenko's rule.

Protasevich is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of $4 that spread clips of mass protests against Lukashenko via encrypted messaging app Telegram. He $4 until he and his girlfriend, $4, were dragged off the Ryanair plane and $4 Protasevich was later moved to $4. He stands accused of organizing riots and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

The move drew condemnation from world leaders including $4

$4

Analysts at the time said the grounding of the Ryanair passenger plane was an indication that Lukashenko will continue to intensify his crackdown on independent media, even at the cost of provoking the international community.

"This is a political message to the Belarusian political migrants of the new wave, and on the other hand, to his supporters, the so-called 'electoral swamp,'" Igar Tyshkevich, a Belarusian analyst based in Ukraine, told $4.

"The message is that the government is strong and may get to anyone," Tyshkevich added.