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| Lukashenko claims he must protect ‘majority’ who voted for him: ‘If I fall, those who stand with me will be slaughtered' | Lukashenko claims he must protect ‘majority’ who voted for him: ‘If I fall, those who stand with me will be slaughtered' |
| (2 days later) | |
| Alexander Lukashenko, the embattled President of Belarus president says he cannot cave in to the demands of anti-government protesters, because otherwise his legacy would be destroyed and his supporters violently persecuted. | Alexander Lukashenko, the embattled President of Belarus president says he cannot cave in to the demands of anti-government protesters, because otherwise his legacy would be destroyed and his supporters violently persecuted. |
| The long time incumbent has warned that has no intention of standing down from power now because 'too much is at stake,' he said in an interview to Russian media, RT among them, on Tuesday. | The long time incumbent has warned that has no intention of standing down from power now because 'too much is at stake,' he said in an interview to Russian media, RT among them, on Tuesday. |
| The president has faced mass protests over the outcome of last month’s election. According to official results, he won it in a landslide, but the opposition insists the voting was rigged and are demanding his resignation. Authorities have responded with a controversial heavy-handed police crackdown, stirring public anger and prompting thousands to take to the streets. | The president has faced mass protests over the outcome of last month’s election. According to official results, he won it in a landslide, but the opposition insists the voting was rigged and are demanding his resignation. Authorities have responded with a controversial heavy-handed police crackdown, stirring public anger and prompting thousands to take to the streets. |
| Lukashenko claimed, contrary to the opposition’s messaging, that if his opponents win, people who work for him will face violence and persecution. | Lukashenko claimed, contrary to the opposition’s messaging, that if his opponents win, people who work for him will face violence and persecution. |
| The president reiterated his claim that the protests were organized by foreign forces which presumably fuel them through social media. | The president reiterated his claim that the protests were organized by foreign forces which presumably fuel them through social media. |
| “How do you counter those channels on Telegram? Can you block them? Nobody can, even those who invented this internet, the Americans.” He added that Russia will be targeted with a similar attack soon if Belarus falls. | “How do you counter those channels on Telegram? Can you block them? Nobody can, even those who invented this internet, the Americans.” He added that Russia will be targeted with a similar attack soon if Belarus falls. |
| Lukashenko said many of the people supporting the protests in Belarus are too young to remember what the situation in the country was like over two decades ago when he first took power. Asked about his plans for eventual retirement, he said he may stand down, but his primary concern now is “not to allow everything we created with the people, with those generations, to be destroyed.” | Lukashenko said many of the people supporting the protests in Belarus are too young to remember what the situation in the country was like over two decades ago when he first took power. Asked about his plans for eventual retirement, he said he may stand down, but his primary concern now is “not to allow everything we created with the people, with those generations, to be destroyed.” |
| The Belarusian leader gave the interview to journalists from five Russian state-backed media outlets, including RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan. | |
| Like this story? Share it with a friend! | Like this story? Share it with a friend! |