MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) - Belarus is fighting back in the information war and is doing everything to prevent a hot war, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he appointed Vladimir Pertsov deputy head of the President Administration, BelTA has learned.
The head of state suggested discussing topical issues of ideological work: "Specifically, propaganda and counter-propaganda. This is very important in this difficult period, if not to say, the most difficult period, for our country."
"As much as possible, I inform the public and our people about the main points. But I don't want the situation to grow tense and our people to be worried and concerned. But I understand that the situation is not easy. Now everything mass media have taken the center stage," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "Today mass media play a crucial role in the development of Belarus in general. Information warfare is underway and first of all in mass media. This is nothing but an economic war. We are trying our best to keep the country out of the hot war. We have been succeeding so far. I think that we will be able to solve this problem and to avoid a clash on the Belarusian land, which has often been a venue of major battles before."
The self-exiled opposition is the main instigator, the initiator of everything, the head of state said. “We know what they are doing there. They are running around various decision-making centers and advisers from the United States and Brussels begging for money. They ask money for mass media. Their curators tell them that it is time for more serious events than information warfare. I guess they mean the events like a terrorist attack in Moscow's Crocus City Hall, God forbid, and armed confrontation in Belarus. Their goal is to enter Belarus and seize at least a piece of land to declare their power there and call in foreign troops.
The head of state stressed that Belarus understands and sees this, including how much money they get. "Our mass media should expose this. It’s true that money is being embezzled. It is in short supply," he said.
In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned the latest news digest prepared for him, which also covered media resources of the opposition. "There was a leak from them (it’s not our counter-propaganda), from their chat rooms and Telegram channels. They openly talk about (although we knew about it) who pockets the money, where the money goes, who gets to wear expensive things. They pick each other apart," the president said. “But there are more radically-minded people who don't just care about a $9,000 watch or a nice suit or makeup, but who want to fight and seize power. There are also those who try to make money on this. I warned our security forces and special services of this scenario. This is what is happening."
In general, the head of state stressed that the situation is tense and sometimes is difficult to understand. The self-exiled opposition is trying to promote certain narratives. "They are gathering the dirt on others. Now that we have met, expect that tomorrow they will start studying you inside out and report on where you go, travel, on what you do and who you meet... This is their agenda now. We mildly call it ‘the information and psychological operations’. That's what they rely on. Although their curators want them to take up arms. Neither is easy."
