Belarus

The film has been viewed nearly four million times on YouTube and outlines the authoritarian leader's palaces and cars.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko lashed out at "very powerful forces" stoking "a rebellion based on the blitzkrieg principle" against his administration and extolled his country's ties to Russia.

A look at those to have been named as nominees for the coveted prize, before the winner is revealed later in the year.

As protesters pivot to more local action awaiting the spring thaw, activists and journalists are trying to weather the vindictive authoritarian regime.

"We can stand against such a difficult environment only by collective efforts," Belarusian presidentially appointed lawmaker Anatoly Isachenko told fellow members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya tells Newsweek of her opposition fight against Alexander Lukashenko who hinted on Friday he may stand down.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told Newsweek she hopes the president-elect "will fulfill his promises" to target the strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko.

The Democrat condemned the "appalling human rights abuses" and called for tougher sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.

"We're mostly concerned that if those criminals understand that no one can find them behind [their] mask, they'll ramp up the violence against protesters tenfold," an activist told Newsweek.

The Belarusian interior ministry said that the protests disputing Alexander Lukashenko's election win will be dispersed with "military weapons."

If governments expect to maintain order, they need to be forward-thinking in their responses to COVID-stricken economies.

Lukashenko is hoping the winter will disperse the street protests. But even if he does succeed in clinging on, the country around him has been changed by this past summer—and will keep changing at an unpredictable pace.

Russia has supported beleaguered Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko who faces mass protests against his nearly three-decade rule.

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"As with all activity in the region, we are aware of and closely monitoring the exercise," U.S. European Command spokesperson Navy Lieutenant Commander Russ Wolfkiel told Newsweek.

"China and Russia are united like a mountain, and their friendship is unbreakable," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

The Polish National Defense Ministry told Newsweek it "assesses that recent anti-Polish narrative expressed by authorities of some nations participating in the exercise is motivated mainly by their internal propaganda needs."

"This is just the beginning," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned as he cracked down on protests to retain power and shored up ties with his Russian ally.

The European Union and the U.S. have not accepted Belarus' August election results, as large anti-Lukashenko demonstrations have persisted within the country.

Mystery had surrounded the fate of Maria Kolesnikova, who witnesses had seen being bundled into a car by masked men in Minsk.

Protests have been ongoing since the disputed election in which Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory.

"This exercise is a demonstration of partnership between NATO Allies aimed at improving interoperability, and is not directed toward a particular country or adversary," the 41st Field Artillery Brigade's Major Joseph Bush said.

Russia and Belarus both held drills around Baltic NATO states Lithuania and Poland, accused by Moscow and Minsk of instigating unrest against longtime President Lukashenko as U.S. and Russian jets met across the world.

"Russia wasn't and isn't interfering with Belarusian affairs," the Kremlin said as Moscow officials accused neighboring NATO nations of "external interference in the affairs of a sovereign state."

"Latvia considers that the only solution is new presidential elections," the Baltic country's foreign service told Newsweek of neighboring Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko warns against an outside plot against him.

The foreign ministries of Poland and Lithuania tell Newsweek they are closely monitoring Belarusian border exercises, as President Alexander Lukashenko accuses them of hatching a U.S.-led plot against him.

"I mean the stars are aligned. The best timing to inject 'order' is when a society is in chaos, especially given the power vacuum," a senior U.S. intelligence official told Newsweek.

"Two airplanes full of employees were flown in from Russia. They are taking over our responsibilities," Belarus 3 director Alena Martinovskaya said.

The Russian president is weighing up his options as protests and a brutal crackdown continue in neighboring Belarus after the disputed presidential election.

"Russia pointed out that foreign attempts to interfere in the country's domestic affairs were unacceptable," the Kremlin said in a statement.