Lukashenka hints he may release hostages

Lukashenka talks about a possible release of political prisoners.

“Instigators have been brought to answer in accordance with the law. There are still shouts: ‘political prisoners, free them’. Well, it seems we have freed them expect for two in the vanguard. Perhaps, we will free them, too. They must not spend the government money in prison, eat for free,” Lukashenka said on Wednesday at Gumilev Eurasian National University in Astana.

As the Belarus’s head of state said, all participants of the presidential campaign were given equal chances. “Everyone was registered by hook or by crook. They had live air and called to kill the president, even attacked the House of Government,” Lukashenka said.

Speaking about the current relations with the West and influence of the events on December 19 on them, the dictator noted: “I do not know whether they understand us or not, but they did not impose economic sanctions two days ago as they had intended.”

As an Interfax-Zapad correspondent reports, Belarusian Foreign Minister Syarhei Martynau, who was present in the university, said in this regard that the West began to understand Belarus.

Lukashenka offered the West to begin building constructive cooperation and emphasized that Belarus was ready for it.

“Don’t apply someone else’s patterns to us. Europeans and Americans should find power within themselves to abandon false stereotypes and obsolete approaches,” Lukashenka said.

As underlined by the dictator, “It’s high time to begin building constructive cooperation in the interests of our nations. We have always been ready for it.”

Lukashenka confirmed readiness to start a dialogue with the West, in particular in the European Union, which member states are “among priorities in our foreign policy”. At the same time, he thinks the political conditions offered by the West are unacceptable. “We seek closer cooperation, but they are putting a spoke in our wheel and set political conditions,” Lukashenka noted.

According to him, “they offer to cut power into pieces”. “We cannot cut the today’s constitutional system into pieces and share it between groups, political parties,” Lukashenka said.

Lukashenka thinks that some countries, besides the West, are unfair to blame Belarus for the absence of democratic changes. “The Russian leadership has suddenly become democratic. Lavrov made statements on democracy and human rights. Look who’s talking,” the ruler said.