Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko elaborated extensively in a no-holds-barred nearly two-hour interview with Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko yesterday. Lukashenko said that he had worked with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the beginning of his presidency to establish a stable order in the country. Lukashenko had worked with Ukraine’s second President Leonid Kuchma in the beginning to work out a national constitution, but things went south quickly. He also had a good relationship with Zelenskyy in the beginning. Panchenko told Lukashenko that Zelenskyy still feels badly about the deterioration in their relationship. Panchenko asked Lukashenko what he would say to Zelenskyy now.
“I can tell him only one thing today. I would say to him: ‘Volodya, the war is going on in your country, on your land. You must do everything to prevent things from getting worse. Yes, whatever happened, happened. Those who are to blame will have to face the music. But this should be stopped now. The developments should not take a further turn for the worse. It will be worse, first of all, for Ukraine.’ This is the only thing I want to say to him today. I want him to hear it. And that’s something to begin with,” the Belarusian leader replied.
Lukashenko said that if there were elections now in Ukraine, Zelenskyy would not win. More likely one of the military leaders would take the Presidency. While Zelenskyy parades as a hero, he is only a hero in some novel of the West, not in the hearts of the Ukrainian people, said the Belarus President.
Lukashenko still holds great hope for Ukraine, saying: “And I have always felt love for Ukraine. And I still feel exactly the same. Despite their trying to portray me as some bastard instead of Batka [father in Belarusian]. Time will come and people will sort out everything.”
