Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his more than three decades in power in Sunday’s orchestrated election that the opposition and the European Union rejected as a sham.

Victory “demonstrates your high political authority,” the Kremlin chief gushes about his counterpart in Minsk.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko extended his 31-year rule with a massive win in a presidential election that Western governments have rejected as a sham, according to preliminary results on Monday.