Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarusians are voting in a constitutional referendum that the country’s authoritarian leader called to cement his 27-year-old grip on power, even as he offers the country’s territory to his ally Russia to invade Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has edged even closer to Russia amid crippling Western sanctions over his crackdown on domestic protests. He said he was confident that in Sunday’s vote Belarusians will support a set of constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power until 2035. The revised main law also would shed Belarus’ neutral status, opening the way for even stronger ties with Moscow. Russian forces deployed to Belarus have rolled into Ukraine as part of the invasion that began Thursday.