MINSK, 10 June (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a few remarks about all the hype concerning world hunger and about the criticism Belarus and Russia have to deal with in relation to the export of grain from Ukraine. He made the statements during the national seminar-conference held on 10 June to discuss new methods and forms of public communication at the grassroots level, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked upon the importance of continuing the practice of organizing various meetings, dialogue platforms, including at the level of the head of state, because he is well-informed about various matters. “We have to meet. And it is necessary to add these meetings to the president's schedule regardless of how hard it can be. Those are signals, impulses, and the rest,” he said.
Continuing the line of thought, Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about the hot-button topic: export of grain from Ukraine. “We've heard about the grain export problem. Everyone says it means hunger and the rest, it is the key. But it isn't. People all over the world are sick and tired of the brazen pressure on Russia. It is already backfiring. So they had to give people something new to chew on – they gave them grain. Who is to blame? It turns out Lukashenko and Putin. Listen, I went crazy when I heard it. Why am I to blame for Ukraine's inability to export grain?”
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that essentially Americans are hyping up the problem in a bid to play off a number of countries against Russia and Belarus. “Americans failed to marshal the entire world and deploy it against Russia and Belarus. They are trying particularly hard in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Well, they've failed. They needed something to reach those people, so they raised the problem of hunger. Hunger was already quite pronounced before the pandemic and the pandemic made it stronger. Who is to blame for hunger? You can say there is hunger in Africa, in Asia, and Latin America (those are the poorest countries). Russia is to blame, two ‘aggressors' – one and the other one [as the West is trying to portray it],” he said. “They want to use this world hunger as leverage in order to marshal the other countries, pull them closer in order to bomb Russia here and us for that matter. They would love to expand this frontline, you know at whose expense, and grab the Middle East.”
“It is the key reason. Not hunger. Their desire to pull those countries closer to the collective West is,” Aleksandr Lukashenko believes. “Egypt is a major importer. It is importing a lot now. And now the Egyptian nation, the head of Egypt will turn against Russia, too. They are starving while grain is going to waste in Ukraine.”
The head of state pointed out that Ukraine does not have as much grain as they say they do. “We have a precise analysis and data concerning the grain. But Putin and I agreed, it was my proposal: ‘Why do we have to listen to this and make excuses? Let's specify [export] routes for them.' He talked about the Belarusian direction and the rest in a recent interview. We reached a solid agreement that they are welcome [to export grain]. I told him one thing though: ‘Listen, Mariupol has been liberated, Berdyansk has been liberated, there are good ports in the Azov Sea area.' And I said he should suggest those. And Russians suggested them. Seven directions for grain export are already available for grain transportation. It's been more than a month and nobody is moving anything.”
“I may be slightly better informed about these things. And I can say something about that when I answer questions of a specific audience. I will find time for it however complicated it can be,” he added.
