Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) – President Alexander Lukashenko wants peace for the people of Belarus. He made a relevant statement on 1 July at a solemn ceremony on the occasion of Belarus Independence Day, BelTA has learned.

“Only by exercising maximum vigilance that we will be able to protect ourselves from the tragic mistakes of June 1941. Of course, we are proud of our victories. We are victors. Still, you know that I would not want any more such victories for the Belarusian people. I do not want this,” the head of state stressed.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that that victory cost millions of lives. The Holocaust and the genocide of the Belarusian people claimed a third of the country’s population. “It is good that we won that victory, but I would prefer that the war that claimed lives of millions had not happened,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The Belarusian head of state believes that in the summer 1941, there was an opportunity to stop the Nazi army in the marshes of Belarus. However, Alexander Lukashenko believes that it was missed because of invigilance, including invigilance of the country’s leadership. “They got people shot for just talking about war. That invigilance led to the great losses that Belarus suffered,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

“I do not want this to happen again, either during my time in office, or afterwards. Our children will live after us, and I want them to live in a safe, free and independent country,” the Belarusian leader stressed.