MINSK, 30 November (BelTA) – Dmitry Kiselyov, Director General of the Russian state news agency MIA Rossiya Segodnya, told journalists about his impressions of the interview with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, BelTA has learned.
Dmitry Kiselyov noted that it was his first meeting with the Belarusian head of state. He admitted that the interview was a kind of eye-opening experience for him.
The journalist refused to discuss the content of the interview before it goes on air. Yet, he shared his impressions of the conversation: “As it seemed to me, President Aleksandr Lukashenko was absolutely sincere. He was disposed to talk. He did not ask what questions I had for him, he set no time limits, we talked for about two and a half hours.”
According to Dmitry Kiselyov, the conversation highlighted five themes. The president mentioned a number of historical events and facts, and also talked about the future. He also said unpleasant things about Europe and the West. He revealed many new things about his personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The interview was intense and dramatic. I have a feeling of a job well done, our common work well done, because an interview is always a joint effort,” the journalist noted.
In his opinion, the conversation with the Belarusian leader was tense. “I think the questions I asked were not easy and could even cause some annoyance, but I took this risk. I put my questions in a nice and friendly way. And the president answered very politely and exhaustively, even more extensively than I could count on,” the journalist said.
“I believe that this interview offers a better understanding of the logic of the president's actions and the reasons why the Belarusian people support the president,” Dmitry Kiselyov noted. “In the course of the interview, we saw why the Belarusian people have a certain view of things and have such an attitude towards their leader,” the journalist added.
