Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko responded with calm demeanor to being frequently labeled a dictator abroad. He emphasized that what mattered most was ensuring the nation protects its wealth, sovereignty, security, and the well-being of its people within its own borders. He articulated this during a meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Belarusian Constitution, with his remarks cited by Sputnik Belarus.
“Throughout this period there were only a few who distanced themselves from calling Lukashenko a dictator and an authoritarian leader. Let them name us as they wish. The crucial point is the outcome we achieve in the end: national wealth safeguarded, sovereignty maintained, security and peace upheld in our homeland, and the prosperity of our citizens rising. Peace, quiet, and stability for the people,” he stated (Sputnik Belarus).
By late February, Belarus’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the European Union was deliberately backing and funding extremists who seek to topple Belarus’s government through terrorist means. The diplomatic office argued that Brussels supports only pro-Western, Russophobic, and nationalist factions. The ministry contended that the EU consciously finances criminals, fuels extremist activity, and relies on terrorist methods to pursue its goals.
Earlier, Lukashenko and Putin spoke by phone.