Lukashenko: Polish diplomats hope to re-engage with Belarus

Polish diplomats hope for a reset in relations with Belarus, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told journalists during his working trip to Brest Oblast, BelTA has learned.

Answering a question about the upcoming elections in Poland, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that even if the opposition comes to power, it remains to be seen what policy they will pursue in relation to Belarus and Russia.

“There is always hope. It's clear how the incumbent government acts and will act, but it remains to be seen what policy their opponents will pursue; there is some hope that they will get back to their senses and try to mend relations. By the way, Polish diplomats, including those who work in our country, want to patch up relations. Credit where credit is due, they understand what is happening. Yet they have opted for a wait-and-see approach, they are waiting for the elections. They say: If new forces come to power, they might want to reset relations in some way. One can hope for this. But you know: we don't hope for anything, we are preparing for the worst case scenario in every way we can. Get ready for the worst and hope for the best,” noted Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The head of state also explained the difference between the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) and their opponents, the Civic Platform party of Donald Tusk. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are Washington's minions that are kept on a short leash. Donald Tusk, on the contrary, is a pro-European politician. And there is hope that he will act in the interests of Europe, not the United States.

“And these [the incumbent government of Poland] make their aspirations clear. They want to become global movers and shakers, or at least a new center of gravity. They are arming themselves. Everyone is fed up with them. The Germans already hate the leadership of Poland. Or look at the reaction of France. Duda and Morawiecki say that they will “change the world”. Nonsense! They are completely under the sway of Washington. They are stuck. There is no turning back. Although (I have known them for a long time) they might want to make a -turn. But the Americans are no fools - they tied them up tightly. And the fact that they started this squabble with Ukraine over grain that went as far as to exchange insults, is a total faux pas on the part of Warsaw. They should have kept quiet. Their verbal attacks on Ukraine are a total blunder. In this situation, they should have kept their mouth shut,” the president said.

At the same time, the president noted that although Donald Tusk is pro-European, he will not pursue anti-American policies. “I believe that he will not take orders from the Americans, like the PiS party does. He is, after all, a European man,” the head of state is convinced.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that he absolutely supports the existence of the European Union. The president has said this several times before.

“The USA, the European Union, China, the Indians and the Russians are the pillars. Especially the USA and the European Union. If the European Union collapses, it will take a heavy toll on everyone. I really hope, and I have this gut feeling that Germany, France and Europe in general are also veering towards us. If Poland gets a new government (I think that they are no fools, they have seen how things are from the outside), they will make a u-turn. And everything else is idle talk. They are already saying: “If there were no Lukashenko, we would have to create him. It turns out that Lukashenko has become a divisive figure in their internal political struggle,” the head of state said.

The Polish authorities exploit existing issues in bilateral relations, for example, illegal migration, exclusively for their populist purposes during the election race. Moreover, it goes to ridiculous lengths, the president noted: the demolition of the wall on the border with Belarus is being put to a referendum. And the Polish side deals with migrants in the most ruthless manner.

“They kill them and dump their bodies on our territory. This is the kind of ‘shitty democracy' they have,” the Belarusian leader said.