US President Donald Trump on Monday said there is a terrible situation in Belarus, where mass protests and strikes erupted after a presidential election on Aug. 9 that protesters say was rigged, and he said the United States is watching it closely.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday he would be willing to hand over power after a referendum in an apparent bid to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge to his 26 years in office.