MINSK, 7 August (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said what he would do in case of a hybrid attack on the country as he gave an interview to Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon, BelTA has learned.
The head of state was asked what he would do if someone attacked Belarus, whether the president would hesitate to give an order to defend the country and open fire.
“I will never open fire first. This would be a big mistake and would play into the hands of an enemy. There are many options to use first. However, if all these options were exhausted, I would not hesitate. What is the army for?” said the Belarusian leader.
He dismissed the allegations he would flee the country in such a situation as idle talk. “Lukashenko will never run anywhere, and my children will never run anywhere,” the president stressed.
Dmitry Gordon asked Aleksandr Lukashenko what is his opinion on the events in the Crimea, when the peninsula was in fact annexed by Russia. “You did not have the power nor the will to defend your piece of land,” the head of state said.
The president also answered the question whether he believes that something similar can happen in relation to Belarus. “No, never, and even now, when the relations are tense. Never. I knew the details. They were not great at planning as you imagine today: oh, they had the designs, they came and captured, and so on. You just had this careless, stupid attitude to the territory and to the Crimea. I have often put myself in the shoes of your leaders... Look, if they made an attempt at even a small piece of land in my country... Thousands of people would have been killed there. The Crimea is the pearl! And you did not put a fight for it," the Belarusian leader said.
“After all you said, I regret that you did not lead Ukraine at that time," Dmitry Gordon said during the interview.
