MINSK, 7 May (BelTA) – Even Europeans in the West are horrified by demands of individual Belarusian oppositionists, who have fled the country. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement while talking to reporters on 7 May, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that ideas and proposals, including sanctions and the rest against Belarus, are suggested by Belarusian oppositionists, who have fled the country. “They sit over there and incessantly call for sanctions!” he said.
“Listen, Europeans who oppose us are now horrified by what those people demand from them,” he pointed out.
In his words, foreign governments do not understand how one can suggest introducing severe industry-wide sanctions against one's own country. “Why do you need them? After all you want to lead the country and thank our nation, bless and revive the country,” the head of state noted. “They are driven crazy by these demands. [The opposition fugitives] have already surprised the entire world.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also responded to calls for the opposition's followers to take to the streets on 9 May, Victory Day: “I thought right away: what flags will they use? Today they've stated that red-and-green ones should be used. Where are the ideas then? Where is the essence of this fight I wonder?”
“Would they unfurl white-red-white flags and go to veterans, monuments, and so on? Not a good idea. They understand that we cannot allow them to besmirch this victory with flags of the traitors. A total zugzwang. Where does the opposition lead people?” the Belarusian leader continued.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that attempts have been made recently to reinvigorate the protest movement and once again shake the situation due to one simple reason – financing: “Instead of dropping hints their masters have recently cut down on their funding saying: if things happen (like the president's assassination and the rest), then you will get your money. And they named the price.”
“The dough. And they want Belarusians involved in it,” he stressed. “Belarusians are different now. They've seen what it is being done for. Yes, Lukashenko may be bad, the government is wrong, there may be some other reasons but they already know what will happen without Lukashenko. They already know and can compare things. Practicality is a trait of Belarusians. Belarusians always weigh pros and cons,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that last year's events were not something new. Attempts to shake the situation were made from time to time throughout his presidential career. “And by the same people. Do you remember that I said once that there is no new opposition in Belarus? They are just paid and employed. There were 5,000 in [the former presidential candidate Viktor] Babariko's initiative group, who had to collect signatures. They were paid. Add 2-3 relatives to each of them and you will get 15,000. That's it,” the Belarusian leader noted. “But today they've understood that they can lose the country and sorrows will follow in exchange for this trifle amount of money. They will no longer try. They understand that we will retaliate strongly. I said in the past: here is the red line, if you cross it, we will be forced to respond.”
Speaking about recent revelations, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that all the plans of the conspirators had come to light not only thanks to efforts of security services but thanks to help from ordinary citizens: “I am not talking about simple TNT. I am talking about plastic explosives and rubberized explosives. It is a terrible weapon. We've started investigating it little by little thanks to ordinary people.”
According to the head of state, the same thing happened when conspirators were looking for a cellar to put his sons in in Gomel Oblast. “Total scumbags. But people would come and warn us, directly or via relatives. And we started investigating it. In other words, our people did well. And they say there are no [supporters of the government]. There are many of them! But our people are not accustomed to shouting. Maybe they have calmed down too much. An overwhelming majority simply kept silent. They just get on with their jobs. Well, they should. If we have to, we will call for them the way it's always been done,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
He explained that all the recent and previous revelation films had been demonstrated as kind of a warning from the government: “Guys, we see everything, we don't want a war, stop! Not only we see everything, people do as well. They already feel what may happen and they give us signals.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko made connections between assaults of the opposition and foreign pressure against him, including accusations of committing crimes against humanity, with attempts to shake the situation and do the groundwork for something more serious. He reminded about the events that happened in a number of countries in the past, including in Serbia, Libya, and Iraq, and about the fate of their leaders: “They were murdered. But it was necessary to prepare the public opinion first. So, they started preparing it in Belarus. There was one attempt, a second one, a third one…”
“They will not succeed! They even try to scare me first. I am not the kind to run scared. It is futile,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.
