Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday said he would not step down, despite a wave of protests against his rule, but did not rule out early presidential elections during an interview with Russian media, a radio journalist reported.
“I WARNED MY OLDER BROTHER”
Lukashenko said his supporters would be attacked if he left, said Roman Babayan, editor in chief of the Moscow Talks radio station and one of the journalists who interviewed Lukashenko earlier on Tuesday.
“You better stay alert. Some political events may soon take place in your country, and perhaps for no reason at all. You know what conclusions the Russian leadership and we have made? If Belarus collapses now, Russia will be next,” Lukashenko pointed out.
“If you think that a rich country such as Russia will handle it, you are wrong. I have talked to many presidents, including my senior friend – my older brother, as I call him [Russian President Vladimir Putin] – and I warned him: there is no way to resist it,” Lukashenko noted.