MINSK, Belarus—Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that he stands ready to send police to Belarus if protests there turn violent but sees no such need now, while Belarusian police dispersed a protest in the capital and detained scores on Aug. 27, raising pressure on the opposition.
Belarus’ authoritarian president of 26 years, Alexander Lukashenko, is facing weeks of protests against his reelection to a sixth term in the Aug. 9 vote, which the opposition says was rigged.
