War and peace, geopolitics and the regional situation, economic provocations and symmetrical responses. For three hours, the President of Belarus has been answering the questions from foreign and Belarusian journalists.
This event was completely unplanned and sudden in the presidential schedule. First, read the little backstory that led to this encounter.
Press tour for foreign journalists on the border with Ukraine
A press tour was organized for reporters from more than a dozen countries (USA, UK, Europe, Africa and Asia). Media representatives visited the border with Ukraine. Of course, they were told about the current situation in this area, including provocations on the Ukrainian side. Many journalists went beyond this point, visited other cities, industrial enterprises of Belarus. All this time, journalists asked for a meeting with the President.
Alexander Lukashenko admitted that it would not be in the spirit of Belarusian hospitality to refuse. All participants of the press tour were invited to the Palace of Independence, including Belarusian and Russian journalists. Such a spontaneous meeting happened without any preparation, with no pre-known questions.
Reporters asked anything they wanted. Many of them repeatedly visited Belarus and even personally communicated with Alexander Lukashenko. But, given the agenda and all the events taking place around Belarus, the central topic was, of course, was Ukraine.
President of Belarus gives spontaneous and frank interview to foreign and Belarusian media
In which case is Belarus ready to use the army? Why has the fighting not stopped so far and who is really ready to talk about peace in Ukraine now? Of course, journalists were also interested in the agenda of the meeting with Vladimir Putin, which will be held on February 17, the situation on the border, the chance for fugitives to return home to Belarus and the results of Alexander Lukashenko's visits to Africa and the Middle East. Ilona Krasutskaya reports in detail.
February 16 clearly illustrated what an unpredictable presidential schedule is like. The pool of Belarusian journalists was generally preparing for another event, and eventually met colleagues from all over the world at the Palace of Independence.
While the journalists were on the press tour, they showed their perseverance every day. Like, we want an interview with Lukashenko. Well, our President never refused to give a comment to anyone. Some journalists had to go straight to the residence with their personal belongings. And then rush back to the plane or train.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
This meeting is unplanned. Neither you nor I prepared for it, but maybe it's better. There will be a lot to talk about. Having looked at the composition of our meeting today, I see here my old acquaintances who came to see me, and we had a very thorough conversation with them some time ago on various issues, on various topics. I think that looking at the problems that concerned them and that they so persistently tried to charge me with is another such interesting feature of the today's meeting.
"A Big Conversation with the President" will take place, but a little later.
The meeting is spontaneous, but it does not replace or cancel the announced "Big Conversation with the President". It will definitely take place, but a little later. According to the Belarusian head of state, another event is now a priority. Preparations are underway for the Address to the nation and the Parliament, where fundamental things will be announced.
"We are preparing the message absolutely frankly, there will be a reaction to all questions, and we will try to look a little ahead within the framework of this message," the President of Belarus said. - There is just a little overlap. And we decided to postpone the "Big Conversation" for a while. Time passes quickly. Many problems and topics are developing, and we will find time to get together here and have a serious talk within the framework of the "Big Conversation".
And now to questions of journalists. There are well-known people in the hall. Stephen Rosenberg of the BBC interviewed Alexander Lukashenko a year ago. He opened this conversation and his question was quite predictable.
Stephen Rosenberg: "A year ago, the Russian army invaded Ukraine, including from the territory of Belarus. That is. You have allowed part of your territory to be used as a springboard for the invasion of Ukraine. Are you ready to do it again if the President of Russia requests?"
Alexander Lukashenko: "First, briefly: Yes, I'm ready. Listen to me, don't cut that phrase out. So that you understood my phrase. Why am I ready? I have already conveyed this point of view to high-ranking officials who wear epaulettes on their shoulders in the Western world, I will not specify. I am ready, and not just to provide, but ready to fight together with the Russia from the territory of Belarus only in one case so far: if at least one soldier comes from there to the territory of Belarus to kill my people. If they commit aggression against Belarus, the response will be brutal. And the war will assume a completely different character."
The wording plus/minus is the same, but the background is the same. It was funny to look at how some of them tried to catch Lukashenko out in their questions.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
You say invasion, and I believe this is not an invasion. I was almost the key figure in 2014-2015, when the clashes between Russia and Ukraine began. I was absolutely in the picture, like nobody else, because I saw both Putin's position and Poroshenko's position. And I've talked many times about how this could all end. I tossed and turned between the two of them to prevent that from happening. The question is rhetorical: why did the Ukrainian authorities begin to strangle Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine and Donbass? Why were they beaten and killed? After all, these problems did not begin with Putin and Russia. They began as an internal indignation of Ukraine itself, and the impetus for this was given by the Maidan and the escape of Yanukovych to the Donbass. He went there to restore order in Ukraine from the Donbass. That's where it all started. Putin and Russia have nothing to do with that. This is an irrefutable fact. Let alone the fact that you insulted everyone and everything, you burned people in Odessa. Who was burned? Not nationalist-minded people, but those who had a different point of view. Mostly Russian-speaking people.
"This is not an invasion, the Ukrainian authorities themselves provoked this operation. It was necessary to agree with Russia that there would be no war. But everything was aimed at unleashing a war. Ukraine was only a pretext for starting this war. This is what the U.S. and someone in Western Europe wanted. They pushed Ukraine towards this war and got this war. I believe, there was no invasion. I believe that this is the protection of the interests of Russia and those people who lived there," Alexander Lukashenko summed up.
There is a lot of talk about the possible achievement of peace in Ukraine. But the fact remains that there is no result. In the first days and hours of the special operation, Lukashenko called Zelensky to talk, to make an attempt to resolve the conflict. Minsk provided its platform for negotiations. But the so-called negotiators were first agreed, then were coming to Belarus for many days, then they completely disappeared from the radar. As a result, Ukraine banned any negotiations at the legislative level.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
Do you want peace in Ukraine? Let's talk about peace, let's start tomorrow, but you don't want that. You will end up at the point where the Ukrainian military will come to Kiev and turn the heads of politicians and Zelensky, come and put everyone in their place, because they are there in a meat grinder. And you run around Europe and ask for weapons, fighters to the applause. You are the culprits of the escalation today. You can reproach Russia, but today the people you are talking about are dying. Let's stop this, everything is there for this now. But you don't want that. I won't even say you. Europe wants it, it knows what it can be. Americans don't want that. They tilted Europe, put it in a position and do whatever they wanted with it.
Early next week, Biden is going to fly to Poland to work out the agenda. It takes 50 minutes to fly from Warsaw to Minsk. If you care about peace, let’s continue talking about peace. Welcome to Belarus! Alexander Lukashenko makes personal invitation.
The President of Belarus is an outspoken man. Even if someone doesn't like it, let’s call a spade a spade. Perhaps something could left beyond public discussion. But without this public fact-checking, panic would not have been avoided.
Alexander Lukashenko voiced intelligence data that the West wants to draw Belarus into the war and literally dreams of it, which would allow, given the length of the borders of Belarus, to further stretch the front by 2.5 thousand kilometers, which would complicate the situation for the troops of Belarus and Russia.
"That’s a correct calculation. But it is empty and clueless. We won't give you that chance. But if only you dare to set foot on our land, the answer will be terrible. The Western leaders know how and with what weapons," Alexander Lukashenko said.
He noted that in Belarus only in peacetime conditions there are 75 thousand servicemen in our army. But in several stages, if necessary, in the conditions of war, it is possible to increase its number to half a million.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
No one needs war. As long as there is no expansion of this aggression today, let us negotiate peace. The eastern side is ready for this.
At the same time, the President believes that the West and Ukraine are not yet ready for this. "Not only not ready, it would be a terrible tragedy and a disaster for you if peace talks began now. You need a war," Alexander Lukashenko said.
In this regard, he drew attention to another point, it is the West that sends mercenaries to Ukraine to fight, already more than 20 thousand people. "How many people did Lukashenko send there? How many? Zero! And you reproach me. I'm not sending people there and I'm not going to do it. In what case I will be ready to do this, I honestly and sincerely answered you," the President said.
Our Austrian colleagues dressed the mobilization and the so-called participation of Belarus in the special military operation in the following wording.
Paul Krisai, ORF Moscow bureau chief: "Yesterday I was on the border in the Brest Region, on the border with Ukraine. We were shown fortifications from the Ukrainian side, then we talked with the local population. I wanted to ask. Everyone among the local population is alarmed. What can you say to your fellow countrymen who are afraid that their sons will be sent to the territory of Ukraine to participate in hostilities?"
The Belarusian head of state noted that people, in particular in the borderland, are concerned, for example, about the fact of the fall of a Ukrainian missile. "Their anxiety has increased. If the missile flew from there, it means that tomorrow a soldier can come. The basis of the anxiety is this. And not that I will take their children offhand and send them to Ukraine. Any sensible Belarusian understands that I will not do this," Alexander Lukashenko said.
Why, even if reporters do not share the point of view of Alexander Lukashenko, they still go to Belarus, melt the phones, insist on interviews? The answer is obvious: because these are 100 percent ratings, millions of views, and it is necessary to accomplish the assignment of the editorial board "On bloodthirsty Belarus". Hence all these questions with a simple background. Not a single interview has been without mobilization, political prisoners and the Dictator.
Olga Gabriela Chikhovlas, AFP correspondent in Moscow: "When will the situation with the sentences of political prisoners stop?"
Alexander Lukashenko: "We have people in prison and you have. There is a law. It's a bad law, but it's a law. We do not have any political prisoners, because we do not have such a political article in the Criminal Code. You came up with this for yourself and you say: "Political prisoners, political prisoners". People with different political views, thousands and hundreds of thousands of such people live in our society. They have different points of view, but they did not break the law. And those who have broken the law (no matter who he is), are equal before the law. Talk to Grigory Azarenok. He's your colleague, a journalist. He'll tell you in detail."
And Azarenok said. But, surprisingly, no one remembered about Ryanair, or who Protasevich is.
Grigory Azarenok, STV political observer:
As for the so-called political prisoners, very briefly. Today in Minsk there is a trial of the most famous of the so-called political prisoners, about whom all the media wrote - Roman Protasevich. Did you know that? You see, no Western journalists came there. For some reason, they are not interested in it at all.
"Call any 'political prisoner'. We will explain what he did, why he is there," the head of state said. - We have taken a step towards not only our internal protesters, but also those who escaped after committing offenses here: "Let's turn the page, come, we'll figure it out!"
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
Personally, like many Belarusian journalists here, I do not want our compatriots to hang around somewhere abroad. Neither in the UK, nor in France. And even in Poland, where today there is no one to work in hospitals. But our doctors from "bad Belarus" are in high demand there. I want them to live here and work here. And we are willing to forgive what can be forgiven. That's the kind of democratic dictatorship we have.
And about chance. A commission has been working in Belarus for a week, which is ready to accept and consider the applications of those who have gone abroad, but really want to return home. We see more and more public apologies and confessions of being wrong. People made a mistake, succumbed to emotions and so on. Each case is ready to consider individually. There are plenty of various emotions, including because of Ukraine. Belarus is presented a kind of a co-aggressor. We make visa-free for their peoples. In response, Poland closes "Bobrowniki", today Lithuania closed a railway station.
Alexander Lukashenko: "Whoever wants to come back, come back. If you don't want to go back, you don't have to. If you want to check what will happen to you in Belarus, please contact the commission. Consider your question and they will give you an answer. You'll see if it's worth coming back or not. What could be more democratic? Take for instance Nadya Ostapchuk. I believe her, because I remember her, you can say, from childhood, when she began her sports career. She is a strong Belarusian girl. I was quite disappointed when I found out that she hesitated in 2020. She spoke and frankly said that there were a lot of people like her. We were wrong and misunderstood."
On February 17, the President of Belarus will hold talks with Vladimir Putin. Each of their meetings is accompanied by conspiracy theories: loss of sovereignty, a joint attack, mobilization in Belarus and another wave in Russia. It is clear that there will be a lot of talk about the pseudo-agenda both before and after the visit. And they will discuss security, but this is not the main question.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
We are trying to find options for a better life for our people. And tomorrow's meeting, first of all, is in the interests of Belarusians and Russians. After this difficult time, we realized that we could do it, what the Russians could do. One of the most important issues that we will discuss is: how do the governments of Belarus and Russia fulfill the tasks set by us? There were many economic tasks: energy, the single market, import substitution - how they are financed, how they are implemented. It's a whole range of issues. Therefore, we will discuss all the issues. And if we come to the question of our joint group in Belarus, of course, we will discuss this as well.
"The world will never be the same", - the phrase of the President of Belarus, said at the time of the beginning of the pandemic, as we see, is applicable to all geopolitical processes and the conflicts accompanying them.
Al-Arabiya TV channel (Saudi Arabia):
"Moscow's conflict with the West is developing very quickly and dangerously. Do you, as Russia's first ally, see the solution in this? If so, how? Given that you and Moscow claim that today trust has already been lost."
Alexander Lukashenko: "This is not a conflict between Moscow and the West. We need to look at it more broadly. It's just this global conflict between America and the West on one side and China on the other. China is the main thing for them. There is a conflict between the West and China, Russia, and East (You can include Iran here) in global terms. And the most acute phase of this conflict is the conflict between Moscow and the West."
"There is no need to repeat that trust is lost, but we need to talk. I tried to reach out to the Americans and convey the position that they are now at war with the whole world. They are at war not only with China and Russia, but also with Europe. They have put Europe in such a position that there is nowhere else to go. Europe is dissatisfied with this situation," the President of Belarus believes.
He, in particular, mentioned the actions of the United States aimed at destroying the ties of the European Union with Russia. For example, the undermining of Nord Stream, through which natural gas was supplied from Russia to Europe and which was destroyed so that there were no economic threads that would connect Russia with Europe. The overseas opponents of such close cooperation are well aware that on a strong economic foundation between Europe and Russia it is possible to build other ties - political, diplomatic, ethical, and without it this is problematic.
Alexander Lukashenko:
Another example is when the United States, defending its market, made the most attractive conditions for European companies, and they rushed there. "Are these friendly steps?" the Belarusian leader asked rhetorically.
And, finally, another convincing example is Brexit in the UK. "Why were they torn away from Europe? Do you think it was an English choice? This is a step towards the destruction of the European Union," the head of state said.
An unpleasant aftertaste remains after Merkel's statement of the fact that the Minsk talks were a delay, an opportunity to prepare Ukraine for war. But if no can be trusted, how to live on? Even after such statements, Alexander Lukashenko was not disappointed.
Anastasia Sakhovskaya, head of the correspondent office of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK): "Taking into account this situation, taking into account the external management of the Kiev regime in its current configuration, taking into account the laws that they have adopted, on a direct ban on negotiations with the Russian leadership, do you consider the Kiev regime in its current state negotiable? With whom, what to talk about?"
Alexander Lukashenko: "My point of view: there is always someone to talk about peace with. I think, strange as it may seem, this dialogue should be conducted, and I am convinced of this, with the military of Ukraine. Ukraine's military have, to put it mildly, a slightly different point of view and position from politicians and President Zelensky. And Vladimir Zelensky knows this very well. And the upcoming, as many have already said, reshuffles in the military bloc speak to this. But, you know, the most professional military are convinced that the war must be stopped. You can agree on the unbelievable with Russia. But we need to take steps in this direction. Do not set preconditions before sitting down at the negotiating table."
The conversation with journalists lasted more than three hours. Details of the President's talks with the leader of the UAE, Alexander Lukashenko's vision for global transformation and new points of support, as well as all important ideas concerning Ukraine. The TV version of this conversation will be shown by the TV channel Belarus 1 on February 18 at 19:00.
