Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: I will defend my country whatever it takes

MINSK, 29 January (BelTA) –  At the meeting with Belarusian students on 29 January Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that he is determined to defend the country whatever it takes, BelTA has learned.

The head of state told the students about the preparations for this visit. When Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova had met with BSU students, they had asked her for an opportunity to put questions to the president. She promised to help with that. Aleksandr Lukashenko accepted the invitation and visited the university as soon as he got an opportunity.

“When I said “yes, I will go to BSU”, Natalya Kochanova was happy. She could not believe that after all these events I would visit students. Listen, you should keep in mind that I am absolutely not afraid of anyone in my country,” the head of state said.

The president emphasized that he had not done anything to be ashamed of. “Yes, I am not a saint. It is impossible to have been working as president for more than a quarter of a century and not to have stumbled somewhere, not to have made mistakes. But you and I have not made fundamental mistakes,” he said.

“We have built – just think about it! - the first sovereign, independent state in the history of our country, on the ruins of the huge empire. We took a bleeding piece of this empire, brought it back to life and established a state on its basis. I was lucky to be the first president of our sovereign state. This is the reasons for my determination and resolution to defend this state. On a horse, on a tank, on an armored personnel carrier, with a machine gun or a gun in my hands - I will defend my country no matter what it takes. I’m proud of the country. I am aware of many shortcomings. However, a quarter of a century is just too short of a time period for history. No one can do what we have done over a quarter of a century,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state is convinced that the younger generation will come to understand and appreciate this with time. “Of course, while turning this bleeding piece of the huge empire into a full-fledged state in such a short period of time, we could not avoid some mistakes. So let’s correct them! I don’t understand why break what we have created” the president said.

“I am defending my country. I have neither taken nor stolen a penny from you or my country. The only thing I have is my country. I have been serving it as long as I remember myself. Therefore, I react very painfully to the attempts to destroy it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

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