Russia and West ready for high-stakes game over Belarus

After facing almost three weeks of massive public protests in the wake of an election whose results are widely perceived to have been rigged, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko remains determined to hold on to power.

Opposition leaders are being rounded up, the armed forces are putting up a show of force on the streets and Mr Lukashenko is increasingly being shown on state-controlled TV in a military uniform, often clutching a machine gun. The message is unmistakable: The Belarusian President is staying.