The United States believes mass protests in Belarus make clear the government of longtime president Alexander Lukashenko “can no longer ignore” calls for democracy there, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Russia should stay out of the situation brewing in the Eastern European country, saying Moscow “must also respect Belarus’ sovereignty and the right of its people to freely and fairly elect their own leaders.”

The senior administration official said the United States was closely following developments in Belarus.

“The massive number of Belarusians peacefully protesting make clear that the government can no longer ignore their calls for democracy,” the official said.