⁍ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko defied an ultimatum to surrender power by midnight on Sunday.

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⁍ The crisis in the former Soviet republic entered a new phase with the expiry of the ‘People’s Ultimatum’ set by opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

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⁍ Lukashenko’s refusal to quit will test whether the opposition has the mass support it needs to bring enterprises across the country to a halt.

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– The deadline has passed for Alexander Lukashenko to step down as president of Belarus, and the man who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation for 26 years has no plans to do so. Lukashenko, known as “Europe’s last dictator” for his harsh response to anti-government protests, had been given a midnight deadline by opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to give up power, reports the New York Times. The 66-year-old Lukashenko—who was re-elected in August with around 80% of the vote—says he won the election and has no plans to leave office, reports Reuters, which notes that the standoff is being closely watched by neighboring Russia. “The regime once again showed Belarusians that force is the only thing it is capable of,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement on Sunday. “That’s why tomorrow, Oct. 26, a national strike will begin.” Lukashenko’s response: “Who will feed the kids?”