MINSK, 21 August (BelTA) – While talking to the staff of Agrokombinat Dzerzhinsky on 21 August, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko commented on the developments in and around Belarus and the role of Western states in them, BelTA has learned.
“They were masterminding this mess. Russia was afraid of losing us. The West decided to use us against Russia, as we see it now. They want to establish this Baltic-Black Sea corridor, a sanitary cordon – three Baltic states, we and Ukraine. We remained the only missing part,” the head of state said.
“The USA is planning and running all this, while Europeans are playing along. They are doing what they are told. A special center was set up near Warsaw. We are fully aware of what they are doing there. Their tanks are on standby. When the situation is tense nearby and tanks and jets are set in motion, it is for a reason,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that some people in Belarus were paid, some were brainwashed, which resulted in this mess. “Meanwhile military drills are underway abroad. What is that supposed to mean? They are getting ready for invasion, if needed,” the head of state said.
The president noted that he had unraveled the plans of his opponents and those who are behind them at the very beginning. “They admit now that they had no program, nothing. They wanted to reach their goals on the back of emotions. They failed. Sometimes having worked for a quarter of a century is a good thing. I knew what they were up to in advance,” the Belarusian leader said.
The head of state noted that at first they demanded a vote recount, but shortly after that they dropped this idea and started demanding a new election. “They realized that it is impossible to rig 80% of votes. They lose anyway. They urge to call a new election. Do you know what it means to spend another half a year on it? They will wreak havoc and brainwashed even some workers. Why should we dance to someone's tune? We held the election, let us live peacefully. Do you want to talk, do you want a dialogue, as they suggest? I am already holding a dialogue with you. I will maintain a dialogue only with labor collectives,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
In addition to fanning up tensions inside the country, now they are starting to put pressure using the force of weapons, the head of state said.
Given these conditions, a large number of military personnel had to be transferred to the western direction, the Grodno area in particular, Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Tomorrow you will see. I will go there to inspect how things are," the president said.
“They have set a goal to cut off this territory, Grodno, first of all. Polish flags have been flying there recently,” the Belarusian leader said. "The Fatherland is in danger today. We cannot be complacent. Nato is no weak force. This is why I warned the Russian president about the situation in Belarus. We have a full understanding, we have appropriate treaties in the CSTO and the Union State,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
According to the president, these are not only Belarusian problems, as some people in Russia say. “The Belarusian problem is no less important for Russia than for Belarus today. They aim at Russia in the first place. They want to crush us first. It will not work! We will fight back,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
According to the head of state, the current situation is influenced by both internal and external factors. “I am not trying to intimidate anyone, but this is what is really happening. We have to take this into consideration and resist resolutely. There is no escaping it,” the president said.
“At the same time, I want to preserve peace and calm for those who want to work. I do not want to introduce a martial law in the country. It is not normal. I want us to live peacefully, just like before. This is my major task – to respond to them over there and to stabilize the situation,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that some people in Belarus have already sobered up, including Yuri Voskresensky, a representative of the campaign of an alternative candidate. He gave an interview where he laid their plans bare. “He said how they were preparing. They had no program, nothing. Everything was based on emotions, these ribbons… However, they did not think that Lukashenko would respond. We responded,” the head of state said.
“Therefore, we should have our head screwed on right. We should keep in mind that we have only one country. People like Lukashenko come and go. Listen, we all are here only for some time. Therefore, it is not about Lukashenko, but about people who want to bring a peaceful and calm Belarus to its knees because it stands on their way, it is about those who want to create a sanitary cordon and cut us off from Russia, to isolate Russia. Naturally, neither Putin nor I will agree to it. We will give a toughest response to these attempts. We know where these orders are coming from,” the president said.
The Belarusian head of state urged Western leaders to pay attention to the situation in their home countries, first of all. As a case in point Aleksandr Lukashenko cited the yellow vests movement in France, riots and murders in the USA, protests against coronavirus restrictions in Germany. “Why have they got concerned over Belarus? This is a convenient way to draw attention away from their own issues. We see that. Therefore, just ignore these statements. They mean nothing. This is an attempt to aggravate the situation here,” the head of state said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, during the phone conversations of the Russian president with his counterparts from France and Germany, the Western side suggested discussing Belarus at an OSCE session. “Look, I know what the OSCE is about. I told Putin: listen, we will be left alone in the OSCE, while others will pressurize and bully us pushing for their initiative. We will bog down in these talks, and this is what they want. They want us to do nothing else but these talks,” the president said.
