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Lukashenko: There are hundreds of Belarusian agents among the self-exiled opposition abroad
MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – There are hundreds of Belarusian agents among the self-exiled opposition abroad, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in his Address to the Belarusian people and Parliament during the second session of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress on 18 December, BelTA has learned.
"In this conversation, I want to draw your attention to the behind‑the‑scenes reaction of our centers [the self‑exiled opposition abroad]. I already told the Americans: ‘Why worry? We are fully aware of everything.’ After all, half of those who fled are our agents. I stated this openly [to the U.S. representative],” the president noted. “You won’t even have time to turn around before we already know. You won’t have time to report back to your ‘quiet ones’ or ‘simpletons’ (there’s a State Department official who calls them and shares information)… Listen, we hear what you’re saying, so let’s conduct negotiations sincerely and honestly. They tried to twist it diplomatically, but it won’t work."
The president said that during the latest negotiations the Americans asked for a pause to think. “They asked when we proposed that we would not be transferring all the oppositionists and other individuals across the Lithuanian border,” the Belarusian leader explained.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that the Belarusian side proposed sending pardoned prisoners to Ukraine in exchange for several Belarusian captives who had fought on Russia’s side, along with a number of Russians. “I requested that the Russians (as in the first group, those disabled, without legs or arms) be handed over. Otherwise, they will die. At least we can save them. For their parents it will be a joy: even if disabled, their child has returned home alive,” the president said.
He described how a group of Russians in extremely serious condition were rescued, brought to Gomel, treated, and then returned to their families. “Putin then called to thank me,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
"That’s how we reached agreement. And then I asked: should we really hand them over to Lithuania (meaning these agents)? They wanted to stage a spectacle there: bringing in hundreds, perhaps thousands of people by planes, helicopters, yachts, and buses to organize a reception for our people. We obtained this information from the relevant sources,” the president said.
“Indeed, there are hundreds of our agents there. Not all of them have lost their minds: some have come to their senses. Ivan Stanislavovich [KGB Chairman Ivan Tertel], I won’t mention names. I myself understand that these are heroic people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
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