MINSK, 9 May (BelTA) – The parade in Red Square in Moscow was organized shrewdly and thoughtfully. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement in front of reporters after taking part in Victory Day festivities in Pobedy Square in Minsk on 9 May, BelTA has learned.
The head of state remarked that it was not the first time he had been asked a question about the parade in Red Square. His Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was the first person to ask this question. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu asked the same question some time later.
“I can tell you sincerely and absolutely honestly that as far as the spirit and the content are concerned, no one knows how to organize such events as well as they do. It was a parade that did not exactly resemble parades of the past. But times have totally changed. You may have noticed how shrewdly they reflect this moment and did what had to be done today,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president said he had been made familiar with some comments about the parade. Some criticize the fact that heavy hardware was not demonstrated during the parade. The head of state rejected such insinuations as out of context. “Were they supposed to remove battle tanks from the frontline and bring them to Red Square? And on top of that, did they have to redeploy them perhaps to Belarus for the sake of showing off? Nobody needs that. Tanks and soldiers have always marched from Red Square to the frontline since 1941,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.
“This is why everything was shrewd, smart, thoughtful, and on point. Just the way it should be done today. They demonstrated their might. If someone knows how to think and read, you may have noticed that at the end they rolled out [strategic intercontinental ballistic missile systems] Yars. Those are strategic weapons. Those, who know how to think and read, realized: guys, let’s live in peace. And those, whose brains are befuddled, got a message: you’d better not tangle with us. Everything went like it should today,” the president concluded.
The head of state also mentioned what he and Vladimir Putin talked about after the parade. “I don’t have a very good fate: festivities and receptions continue over there all the time while I always have to leave. I got up, my motorcade was ready, I was on the way and he told me: ‘Where are you going?’ I said I had to participate in Victory Day celebrations in Belarus. He said he had forgotten about it and kindly asked to convey the warmest greetings on our shared holiday from Russians to Belarusians,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
