Lavrov backs Belarus over Pratasevich detention

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Moscow would not "rush" to assess the arrest of a Belarusian opposition journalist after his Lithuania-bound plane was forcibly grounded in Minsk.

"We are in favor of assessing this situation not in a rush, not in a hurry, but on the basis of all available information," he said.

Lavrov also described the approach of the Belarusian authorities - "to act in this matter transparently" and "follow all international rules" - as "absolutely reasonable."