themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--Navalny Recovering From ‘Deadlier, Slower-Acting’ Novichok Variant – Reports

Hours after the Die Zeit report , The Insider news website reported , citing anonymous sources , that Navalny , 44 , has almost completely recovered after falling violently ill on a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20 and remaining in a coma for more than two weeks .
He was evacuated to a Berlin hospital after Siberian doctors ruled out poisoning as the cause of his illness .
Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a new , deadlier variant of military-grade nerve agent Novichok , the German weekly Die Zeit reported Wednesday .
“ Navalny was poisoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon Novichok — a variant that the world had not known until this attack , but which is said to be more vicious and deadly than all known offshoots of the Novichok family , ” Die Zeit reported .
Only the Russian intelligence services could have carried out “ an operation with such a lethal and complex poison , ” Die Zeit reported , citing German intelligence .
Germany said last week that “ unequivocal evidence ” pointed to Navalny , the de facto leader of Russia ’ s opposition , being poisoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that “ only Russia can and must answer ” questions regarding Navalny ’ s poisoning .
“ This new Novichok variant works slower than the previously known ones , ” Die Zeit wrote .
German military scientists in Munich found residues of the new type of Novichok on Navalny ’ s hands and the neck of the water bottle he had been carrying when he fell ill , it added .
At least two scientists involved in Novichok ’ s development have hypothesized that Navalny may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Novichok than that used in 2018 on former spy Sergei Skripal in Britain .
Germany suspects that an FSB agent or another Russian intelligence officer “ dripped the poison into the tea or applied it onto the cup ’ s surface , ” according to Die Zeit .
The Insider , which reported on Navalny ’ s recovery with Germany ’ s Spiegel weekly and the investigative website Bellingcat , said Navalny is able to recall the events leading up to his poisoning and up to the time when he lost consciousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one would expect in such a situation , ” The Insider wrote .
Navalny 's spokeswoman called the reports about his condition “ highly exaggerated ” and “ factually inaccurate , ” saying in a tweet that Navalny has been regaining consciousness and reacting to outside stimuli since Monday .
Russia 's Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador Wednesday to demand further information about Navalny ’ s treatment there .
The Siberian doctors who treated Navalny before he was flown to Berlin maintained that their test results showed no signs of poisoning @ @ @ @ @ @

Hours after the Die Zeit report, The Insider news website reported , citing anonymous sources, that Navalny, 44, has almost completely recovered after falling violently ill on a flight in Siberia on Aug. 20 and remaining in a coma for more than two weeks. He was evacuated to a Berlin hospital after Siberian doctors ruled out poisoning as the cause of his illness.
Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a new, deadlier variant of military-grade nerve agent Novichok, the German weekly Die Zeit reported Wednesday.
“Navalny was poisoned with a novel development of the chemical weapon Novichok — a variant that the world had not known until this attack, but which is said to be more vicious and deadly than all known offshoots of the Novichok family,” Die Zeit reported.
Only the Russian intelligence services could have carried out “an operation with such a lethal and complex poison,” Die Zeit reported, citing German intelligence.
Germany said last week that “unequivocal evidence” pointed to Navalny, the de facto leader of Russia’s opposition, being poisoned by a nerve agent from the Novichok family. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that “only Russia can and must answer” questions regarding Navalny’s poisoning.
“This new Novichok variant works slower than the previously known ones,” Die Zeit wrote.
German military scientists in Munich found residues of the new type of Novichok on Navalny’s hands and the neck of the water bottle he had been carrying when he fell ill, it added.
At least two scientists involved in Novichok’s development have hypothesized that Navalny may have been poisoned with a different type of Novichok than that used in 2018 on former spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.
Germany suspects that an FSB agent or another Russian intelligence officer “dripped the poison into the tea or applied it onto the cup’s surface,” according to Die Zeit.
The Insider, which reported on Navalny’s recovery with Germany’s Spiegel weekly and the investigative website Bellingcat, said Navalny is able to recall the events leading up to his poisoning and up to the time when he lost consciousness.
“His health condition is better than one would expect in such a situation,” The Insider wrote.
Navalny's spokeswoman called the reports about his condition “highly exaggerated” and “factually inaccurate,” saying in a tweet that Navalny has been regaining consciousness and reacting to outside stimuli since Monday.
Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador Wednesday to demand further information about Navalny’s treatment there.
The Siberian doctors who treated Navalny before he was flown to Berlin maintained that their test results showed no signs of poisoning in Navalny’s system.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--Microsoft Thwarts Russian, Chinese Hackers Targeting US Presidential Campaigns

Microsoft said Thursday it detected and thwarted cyberattacks in recent weeks from China and Russia targeting US presidential campaign staff @ @ @ @ @ targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ blog .
`` In recent weeks , Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations @ @ @ @ @ election , including unsuccessful attacks on people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns @ @ @ @ @ president Tom Burt .
`` The activity we are announcing today makes clear that foreign @ @ @ @ @ their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated , and is consistent with @ @ @ @ @ others have reported . ''

Microsoft said Thursday it detected and thwarted cyberattacks in recent weeks from China and Russia targeting US presidential campaign staff.
The attackers have been targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Microsoft said in a security blog.
"In recent weeks, Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election, including unsuccessful attacks on people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns," said corporate vice president Tom Burt.
"The activity we are announcing today makes clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated, and is consistent with what the US government and others have reported."


themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--US Sanctions 'Russian Agent' for Trying to Damage Biden

The US Treasury slapped sanctions Thursday on Ukrainian politician Andrii Derkach , an alleged Russian intelligence operative who has stoked conspiracy theories advanced by the White House that purport to implicate Democrat Joe Biden in corruption .
Derkach , who met with President Donald Trump 's lawyer Rudy Giuliani several times over the past year as he searched for dirt on Biden , `` has been an active Russian agent for over a decade , '' the Treasury said in a statement .
Derkach maintains `` close connections '' with Russian intelligence and has engaged in interference actions `` in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US presidential election , '' it said .
`` This action is a clear signal to Moscow and its proxies that this activity will not be tolerated , '' the Treasury said .
Derkach 's links to Ukraine and Russian intelligence are well-established .
His father was director of the Ukraine Security Service , and he attended the Russian security ministry 's intelligence academy before joining the Ukraine security service as well .
Now a member of the Ukraine parliament , Derkach has been publicly involved in Republican efforts to tar Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of November 's presidential election .
As Trump faced impeachment last year for trying to force the Ukraine government to provide dirt on Biden , Derkach fed documents to Giuliani and to Trump allies in Congress that contained alleged damaging information on the Democratic former vice president .
After one trip to Eastern Europe in October , Giuliani appeared on Fox News and cited Derkach 's `` evidence '' to claim Biden received $ 900,000 in lobbying fees from a Ukraine company .

The U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions Thursday on Ukrainian politician Andrii Derkach, an alleged Russian intelligence operative who has stoked conspiracy theories advanced by the White House that purport to implicate Democrat Joe Biden in corruption.
Derkach, who met with President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani several times over the past year as he searched for dirt on Biden, "has been an active Russian agent for over a decade," the Treasury said in a statement.
Derkach maintains "close connections" with Russian intelligence and has engaged in interference actions "in an attempt to undermine the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election," it said.
"This action is a clear signal to Moscow and its proxies that this activity will not be tolerated," the Treasury said.
Derkach's links to Ukraine and Russian intelligence are well-established.
His father was director of the Ukraine Security Service, and he attended the Russian security ministry's intelligence academy before joining the Ukraine security service as well.
Now a member of the Ukraine parliament, Derkach has been publicly involved in Republican efforts to tar Biden, who is leading Trump in polls ahead of November's presidential election.
As Trump faced impeachment last year for trying to force the Ukraine government to provide dirt on Biden, Derkach fed documents to Giuliani and to Trump allies in Congress that contained alleged damaging information on the Democratic former vice president.
After one trip to Eastern Europe in October, Giuliani appeared on Fox News and cited Derkach's "evidence" to claim Biden received $900,000 in lobbying fees from a Ukraine company.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--Russia Denies Claims of ‘Highly Improbable’ Coronavirus Vaccine Results

Russia has pushed back against claims its published research into a Covid-19 vaccine included “ highly improbable ” and “ statistically unlikely ” results .
A group of scientists and doctors published an open letter to Russia ’ s Gamaleya research center , which is leading the Sputnik V vaccine ’ s development , and renowned British medical journal The Lancet on Wednesday outlining a number of concerns over apparent “ duplication ” of results regarding antibody production in patients who were administered the vaccine in Phase 1/2 trials .
Almost 30 health and science professionals have signed the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Russia and The Lancet to publish the full raw research results so they can further scrutinize the data .
Deputy research director of the state-run Gamaleya institute Denis Logunov , the study ’ s lead author , hit back against suggestions the data could be falsified .
He confirmed Thursday that he had submitted the original data as well as a “ full clinical protocol ” to The Lancet ’ s editorial office .
One U.S.-based scientist who peer-reviewed the original research told The Moscow Times he does not share the concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bottom line , I saw no reason to doubt the legitimacy of these results over others I have read and reviewed .
But of course one can never know , ” said Naor Bar-Zeev , an associate professor and deputy director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University .
“ Recalling that the numbers are small , and events are few , it is not surprising that percentages are repeated or discrete distributions look similar , ” Bar-Zeev said , referencing the claim that seemingly duplicate antibody levels were observed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine formulations — an occurrence deemed “ highly improbable ” by the study ’ s critics .
“ I have reviewed the claims in the open letter , and find no cause for concern .
… I saw nothing untoward in the reported results .
Having since reviewed in great detail all the claims , I am still happy with the veracity of the data.
” The Lancet did not confirm whether it had received the full clinical protocol and original data from Russia .
The journal yesterday encouraged the study ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the concerns raised in the open letter .
Enrico Bucci , a biology professor at Temple University in the U.S. who flagged the concerns in the Italian journal Cattivi Scienziati — whose motto is “ fighting bad and pseudoscience ” — told The Moscow Times Thursday he had not received a response from Russia either directly or through The Lancet .
“ We are still waiting for the complete data .
They are all talking about it , but no one is providing it , ” he said .
Russia became the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 vaccine in mid-August , a move which received criticism from the international medical community as the Sputnik V vaccine had yet to be tested in large-scale medical trials .
Bar-Zeev said that while he has no concerns over results of these early-stage trials , they should not have been enough to give the vaccine a green light .
“ Regulatory licensure should not have occurred in Russia on the basis of these results alone , but that has nothing to do with their validity .
They are sufficient for progressing to Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense they were trying to do rigorous careful science under enormous pressure , ” Bar-Zeev said of the Gamaleya center .
He and Tom Inglesby , director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , said the study was “ encouraging but small ” in their original commentary published in The Lancet last week alongside Russia ’ s research results .
They highlighted the fact the vaccine was tested on military personnel , who tend to be in better physical condition , the lack of testing on older patients , a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested , and that only two non-white European people were among the 76 trial patients .
“ Clearly , much more remains to be learned from the Phase 3 randomized trial , ” the pair wrote .

Russia has pushed back against claims its published research into a Covid-19 vaccine included “highly improbable” and “statistically unlikely” results. A group of scientists and doctors published an open letter to Russia’s Gamaleya research center, which is leading the Sputnik V vaccine’s development, and renowned British medical journal The Lancet on Wednesday outlining a number of concerns over apparent “duplication” of results regarding antibody production in patients who were administered the vaccine in Phase 1/2 trials. Almost 30 health and science professionals have signed the letter as of Thursday afternoon, which calls on Russia and The Lancet to publish the full raw research results so they can further scrutinize the data.
Deputy research director of the state-run Gamaleya institute Denis Logunov, the study’s lead author, hit back against suggestions the data could be falsified. He confirmed Thursday that he had submitted the original data as well as a “full clinical protocol” to The Lancet’s editorial office. One U.S.-based scientist who peer-reviewed the original research told The Moscow Times he does not share the concerns raised in the open letter. “Bottom line, I saw no reason to doubt the legitimacy of these results over others I have read and reviewed. But of course one can never know,” said Naor Bar-Zeev, an associate professor and deputy director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University. “Recalling that the numbers are small, and events are few, it is not surprising that percentages are repeated or discrete distributions look similar,” Bar-Zeev said, referencing the claim that seemingly duplicate antibody levels were observed across different groups of patients given different vaccine formulations — an occurrence deemed “highly improbable” by the study’s critics. “I have reviewed the claims in the open letter, and find no cause for concern. … I saw nothing untoward in the reported results. Having since reviewed in great detail all the claims, I am still happy with the veracity of the data.” The Lancet did not confirm whether it had received the full clinical protocol and original data from Russia. The journal yesterday encouraged the study’s authors to engage with and respond to the concerns raised in the open letter.
news Russia Begins Final Trials of Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--St. Petersburg Schoolchildren Screened for LGBT ‘Propaganda’

Any such symbols would be considered violations of Russia ’ s 2013 law that bans the display of “ gay propaganda ” toward minors .
Teachers in Russia ’ s second-largest city of St. Petersburg have been instructed to monitor their students ’ social media profiles for the presence of “ LGBT symbols , ” the LGBT Network rights group said .
This spring , teachers of grades 5-11 in St. Petersburg ’ s Nevsky District were instructed to comb through their students ’ social media pages and submit detailed reports on students who post “ LGBT symbols ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , citing screenshots of messages it obtained .
District administrators confirmed the LGBT Network ’ s report , noting that the monitoring was part of an effort to protect children ’ s interests within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child .
LGBT Network spokeswoman Svetlana Zakharova called it “ unacceptable ” to equate “ a repost of a rainbow flag ” to an offense punishable by law .
The social-media screenings are at least the second instance of Russian teachers monitoring their students ’ online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda ” law .
In September 2019 , the Ural State University of Economics ( USUE ) in Russia ’ s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg confirmed that it monitors its students ’ social media pages for potential violations of the law and to evaluate their “ moral character.
” The news comes as Cossack units patrol the streets of Yekaterinburg in an attempt to detain participants of the city ’ s ongoing Ural Pride Week .

Any such symbols would be considered violations of Russia’s 2013 law that bans the display of “gay propaganda” toward minors.
Teachers in Russia’s second-largest city of St. Petersburg have been instructed to monitor their students’ social media profiles for the presence of “LGBT symbols,” the LGBT Network rights group said .
This spring, teachers of grades 5-11 in St. Petersburg’s Nevsky District were instructed to comb through their students’ social media pages and submit detailed reports on students who post “LGBT symbols” to the police, the LGBT Network said this week, citing screenshots of messages it obtained.
District administrators confirmed the LGBT Network’s report, noting that the monitoring was part of an effort to protect children’s interests within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
LGBT Network spokeswoman Svetlana Zakharova called it “unacceptable” to equate “a repost of a rainbow flag” to an offense punishable by law.
The social-media screenings are at least the second instance of Russian teachers monitoring their students’ online presences for violations of the “gay propaganda” law. In September 2019, the Ural State University of Economics (USUE) in Russia’s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg confirmed that it monitors its students’ social media pages for potential violations of the law and to evaluate their “moral character.”
The news comes as Cossack units patrol the streets of Yekaterinburg in an attempt to detain participants of the city’s ongoing Ural Pride Week.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-10--Russian War Historian Jailed 12 Years for Treason

An amateur Russian military historian was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for treason this week , the latest in a string of treason and espionage convictions targeting a wide range of Russians .
Andrei Zhukov was arrested in June 2018 on suspicions linked to “ the history of the Russian Armed Forces and his vigorous activity online , ” according to the state-run TASS news agency .
The Moscow City Court found Zhukov guilty on charges of high treason , TASS reported Tuesday .
He will serve his time in a high-security penal colony .
State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penal colony for Zhukov .
The trial was closed to the public because some of its materials were classified as top secret , according to TASS .
Zhukov ’ s defense team vowed to appeal his “ illegal and groundless ” sentence , TASS reported .
The mandatory minimum sentence for high treason is 12 years and the statutory maximum is 20 years .
According to TASS , Zhukov ’ s colleagues said that his interests included the formation , reassignment and deployment of Russia ’ s military units from World War I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published books on World War II participants and their families , as well as military awards .
Russian authorities have in recent years imprisoned or charged scientists , journalists , pensioners and government officials for high treason or disclosing state secrets .

An amateur Russian military historian was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for treason this week, the latest in a string of treason and espionage convictions targeting a wide range of Russians.
Andrei Zhukov was arrested in June 2018 on suspicions linked to “the history of the Russian Armed Forces and his vigorous activity online,” according to the state-run TASS news agency.
The Moscow City Court found Zhukov guilty on charges of high treason, TASS reported Tuesday. He will serve his time in a high-security penal colony.
State prosecutors had requested 17 years in maximum-security penal colony for Zhukov.
The trial was closed to the public because some of its materials were classified as top secret, according to TASS.
Zhukov’s defense team vowed to appeal his “illegal and groundless” sentence, TASS reported.
The mandatory minimum sentence for high treason is 12 years and the statutory maximum is 20 years.
According to TASS, Zhukov’s colleagues said that his interests included the formation, reassignment and deployment of Russia’s military units from World War I to the present.
Zhukov has also published books on World War II participants and their families, as well as military awards.
Russian authorities have in recent years imprisoned or charged scientists, journalists, pensioners and government officials for high treason or disclosing state secrets.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-11--Ukrainian Captain’s Ship Stranded in Mediterranean After Migrant Rescue

Volodymyr Yeroshkin ’ s vessel has been unable to dock in any European ports after picking up 25 men , a pregnant woman and a 15-year-old in an Aug. 4 rescue operation coordinated by Malta ’ s coast guard .
Commercial vessels usually house rescued people for no more than three days before disembarking them .
A Ukrainian captain 's tanker has been stranded in the Mediterranean for more than a month since rescuing 27 migrants off the coast of Libya .
“ These people are not given their basic right to step ashore , ” Yeroshkin said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Shift News website Saturday .
Appealing for help in accommodating the rescued migrants , Yeroshkin stressed that the Danish-flagged Maersk Etienne is not equipped to hold more people than its 21-member crew .
“ None of us could imagine that the vessel could end up in a four-week standoff , keeping rescued people on board , providing them their basic needs , medical assistance and everything needed , ” he said .
At least three of the migrants were rescued a second time after throwing themselves overboard Sunday , BBC reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time this year that a commercial vessel hasn ’ t been allowed into any port , BBC said .
It comes amid a renewed focus on the European migrant crisis , with Greece ’ s main migrant facility , the Moria camp , burning down and leaving most of its 12,000 asylum seekers in the open air this week .
France , Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to take in hundreds of the asylum seekers , primarily children .

Volodymyr Yeroshkin’s vessel has been unable to dock in any European ports after picking up 25 men, a pregnant woman and a 15-year-old in an Aug. 4 rescue operation coordinated by Malta’s coast guard. Commercial vessels usually house rescued people for no more than three days before disembarking them.
A Ukrainian captain's tanker has been stranded in the Mediterranean for more than a month since rescuing 27 migrants off the coast of Libya.
“These people are not given their basic right to step ashore,” Yeroshkin said in a video address shared by Malta’s The Shift News website Saturday.
Appealing for help in accommodating the rescued migrants, Yeroshkin stressed that the Danish-flagged Maersk Etienne is not equipped to hold more people than its 21-member crew.
“None of us could imagine that the vessel could end up in a four-week standoff, keeping rescued people on board, providing them their basic needs, medical assistance and everything needed,” he said.
At least three of the migrants were rescued a second time after throwing themselves overboard Sunday, BBC reported.
The standoff is the third and longest time this year that a commercial vessel hasn’t been allowed into any port, BBC said.
It comes amid a renewed focus on the European migrant crisis, with Greece’s main migrant facility, the Moria camp, burning down and leaving most of its 12,000 asylum seekers in the open air this week. France, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to take in hundreds of the asylum seekers, primarily children.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-11--Belarus President to Visit Russia on Monday: Kremlin

The Kremlin said Friday that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday as he faces popular protests against his rule .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists the location of the `` working visit '' in Russia was yet to be announced and there was no plan for the leaders to hold a press conference .
The visit will be the first to Russia by the Belarusian leader since protests broke out over his disputed election win .
It comes as Lukashenko has vowed that he will not give up power to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tikhanovskaya was the rightful winner of the August 9 polls .
She has taken shelter in Lithuania after coming under official pressure .
Lukashenko has had a volatile relationship with Russia , sometimes playing it off against the European Union , but since mass demonstrations against him began he has sought advice and help from Putin , with regular phone calls between the leaders .
Huge protests with a turnout of some 100,000 people have been held three weekends in a row in the capital Minsk , with another planned for the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would visit in the next few weeks .
Russia is Lukashenko 's strongest ally and has offered the embattled leader military aid while pressing for closer integration with Belarus .
The two countries have already formed a `` union state '' that links their economies and militaries .
Lukashenko has opposed full unification , but Putin has repeatedly called for closer ties .
In a symbolic gesture , the Russian Ambassador to Minsk , Dmitry Mezentsev , on Thursday handed a gift of a book of historic maps depicting Belarus when it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who recently turned 66 .
The authoritarian president in power for 26 years has harshly cracked down on the protest movement with thousands detained and those held in custody giving accounts of police violence and torture .
The opposition formed a Coordination Council to organize a peaceful handover of power but the Belarusian authorities have detained senior members and pressured them to leave the country .
One leading activist , Maria Kolesnikova , who is currently in jail in Minsk , issued a statement through lawyers saying security officers threatened to force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in pieces . ''
She said she ripped up her passport to resist forced expulsion but has been jailed on suspicion of making calls for actions `` aimed at harming national security . ''

Lukashenko's visit will be the first to Russia by the Belarusian leader since protests broke out over his disputed election win last month.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who is facing the largest protests of his rule, will discuss plans to further integrate their countries on Monday, the Kremlin said.
In a statement, the Kremlin said on Friday the two leaders would meet in the Black Sea resort of Sochi to discuss further integration plans as well as key trade and energy projects.
"Key issues of the further development of Russian-Belarusian strategic partnership and alliance are planned to be discussed," the Kremlin said.
Putin has been keen to unify Russia and Belarus, and Moscow has accompanied its recent offers of military and economic aid with calls for tighter integration.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no plan for the leaders to hold a news conference or sign any documents.
Lukashenko said last week that during his talks with Putin he planned to "dot all the i's on issues that are very sensitive and delicate for the two states".
Mass demonstrations
Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has vowed that he will not give up power to the opposition, which claims its candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was the rightful winner of the August 9 polls. She has taken shelter in EU member Lithuania after coming under official pressure.
Lukashenko, 66, has had a volatile relationship with Moscow, playing it off against the European Union and ruling out an outright unification with Russia.
But with Western pressure against Lukashenko mounting, his options are now limited. Since mass demonstrations against him began he has sought support from Putin, with regular phone calls between the leaders.
Lukashenko has cracked down on the protest movement with thousands detained and those held in custody giving accounts of police violence and torture. Several people have died in the crackdown.
Putin swiftly congratulated Lukashenko on his victory and raised the possibility of intervening militarily.
The opposition formed a Coordination Council to organise a handover of power but the Belarusian authorities have detained senior members and pressured them to leave the country.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets of the Belarusian capital Minsk during rallies over the past four weekends, and a new protest is planned for Sunday.
Historically Russians and Belarusians have enjoyed good relations and members of the opposition say the protests are not aimed against Russia.
In an address to Russians this week, Tikhanovskaya said it was important not to allow politicians and propaganda to "poison" ties.
Belarus, an ex-Soviet state sandwiched between Russia and the European Union, has for years relied on Moscow for cheap oil and loans.
Dependent on Russia
The two countries have formed a "union state" that links their economies and militaries but the Kremlin has been pushing for a closer integration.
In a symbolic gesture, the Russian ambassador to Minsk Dmitry Mezentsev on Thursday handed Lukashenko a gift of a book of historic maps depicting Belarus when it was part of the Russian Empire.
EU members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have introduced sanctions against Lukashenko and other high-ranking officials over the election and subsequent crackdown.
The authoritarian leader of the landlocked country has suggested he could re-route Belarusian cargo away from the Baltic states' ports to Russia's instead, and the transport ministries of the two countries discussed the issue on Friday.
Analysts said that Moscow will seek to exploit Lukashenko's political vulnerability to wring concessions from him.
"Russia will seek to fully capitalise on its support for Lukashenko," Konstantin Kalachev, who heads the Political Expert Group, told AFP.
"He is fully dependent on Russia."
But Andrei Suzdaltsev of the Higher School of Economics said it was unwise of Moscow to support Lukashenko after he has lost legitimacy in the eyes of many in Belarus.
"Lukashenko and integration are incompatible," he told AFP, adding that the leader would "sign up to anything but do nothing" and any such agreements would only anger Belarusians.