The U.S. no longer recognizes Aleksandr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus, the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Lukashenko has clung to power with the support of Russia amid seven weeks of protests that have followed a blatantly rigged election.
Fresh protests broke out Wednesday evening in Minsk after it emerged that Lukashenko had held a secret inauguration ceremony.
"The United States cannot consider Aleksandr Lukashenko the legitimately elected leader of Belarus.
We don't recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus.".
A German government spokesperson reiterated today that Germany does not view Lukashenko as legitimate, adding of Wednesday's inauguration:.
Where things stand: Lukashenko seems to have retained the loyalty of the security forces, but he's clearly lost much of the population. »