MINSK, 3 December (BelTA) – The West has issued an ultimatum to Belarus demanding that it should follow in Ukraine's footsteps, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a government meeting to discuss the country's social and economic development on 3 December, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that Belarus found itself in the middle of a global confrontation unfolding between the West and Russia. In this struggle, the parties are not isolated from each other, as they have channels through which they can negotiate. “Don't think that we are waging a war without knowing what they say. We have communication channels,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president emphasized that the collective West moved from requests to firm demands and ultimatums. “They demand that Belarus become like Ukraine. I quote: ‘a democratic, promising, developed state like Ukraine'. Two days ago we told them straight away: we will never become Ukraine, because we are Belarusians, we have our own vision of our future,” the Belarusian leader said.
He believes that the idea of Belarus turning into another Ukraine is supported neither by the country's top government officials who are in attendance at the meeting, nor by the general public who want a normal life for themselves and their children.
“They wanted to achieve their goals in an easier way last year - to cut off this balcony up to Smolensk,” the president said commenting on the failed attempt of the collective West to destabilize Belarus in 2020. “Vladimir Andreichenko [Chairman of the House of Representatives] remembers very well their aspirations after the collapse of the Soviet Union; we were parliament members back then; their dream could have come true in August last year. They wanted to create a buffer zone here. But this buffer zone would be part of a bloc which borders would run near Smolensk. This did not work,” the president said.
“What I said about Ukraine was a very precise quote. Sometimes their message is more discreet. They say: Well, the question is not about the government ... In fact, it is! Quite recently they said: The government in Belarus should be changed starting from the president. In fact, we have mechanisms to do it, like elections and so on. Early election is also an option. They can keep talking about it. Anyway, I am not making a drama out of it!” the head of state said.
Returning to the topic of the ultimatum, Aleksandr Lukashenko turned to Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko: “You are a former diplomat, you are tolerating all this, you are not suggesting anything. Those who brought this ultimatum should leave our country no matter what state they represent. Why are we playing nice with them? They seek to do harm to us.”
“Indeed, we have already noticed that a day has passed (since these sanctions were planned to be introduced), some embassies are already packing their suitcases saying that the president will order to kick them out the next day. I want to calm them down. We will not seize their luggage and the stuff inside it. We will not kick anyone out. We will do this in a civilized manner, in accordance with the international law. Therefore, those who are packing their suitcases, listen to me: calm down, put your suitcases back. If we declare you persona non grata, you will have time to pack your luggage and leave. Anyway, it is up to you to decide when to do this,” the Belarusian leader added.
