Belarus leader believes President Putin will be re-elected

TASS quoted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko, expressing confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be re-elected in the upcoming election, as he currently has no opponents.

“I think the next president in Russia will still be Mr. Putin. Elections will take place in 6 months. Mr. Putin currently has no rivals in Russia,” said Belarusian President Lukashenko.

Regarding Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, President Lukashenko said that before the conflict broke out, Kiev threatened Minsk with launching missiles across the border. Ukrainian armed forces units along the border with Belarus were equipped with Tochka-U missiles. However, the Russian army destroyed Ukrainian units equipped with missiles before the start of the special operation.

“From the territory of Belarus, Russian special forces units crossed the Ukrainian border. Why? Ask President Zelensky. We are accused of contributing to the start of the conflict. No, the war began before that! And Ukraine is the one who started this war against Belarus. First of all, it is an economic war,” President Lukashenko stressed.

The Belarusian leader clarified that, in fact, Kiev blockaded Minsk, prevented Belarusian planes from entering its airspace, did not allow them to cross the border, seized commercial cargo vehicles, and also captured and destroyed several aircraft carriers.

President Lukashenko affirmed that Minsk would not get involved in the war if Ukraine did not cross the Belarusian border. However, Belarus would always help Russia.

The head of Belarus added that the country is ready to use all its arsenal to deter the enemy in case of attack.