President Alexander Lukashenko has said that Belarus will cease to exist as a country if authorities concede to demands for a new election. He also warned about NATO troops at the nation’s border.
At a rally outside the government’s HQ in Minsk, Lukashenko urged his supporters to “defend your country, independence and families.”
I am kneeling for you, for the first time in my life. You have deserved it!
In an impassioned speech, the president rejected calls to hold a new election, after the opposition accused him of having rigged the vote to secure a sixth term in office last week.
“The leadership of NATO demands new elections. If we concede, we will die as a country,” Lukashenko said, warning about “the sound of the NATO armies’ tracks at our gates.”
“Despite all the difficulties, all its flaws, we’ve built a beautiful country together. Who did you decide to surrender her to? If somebody wants to surrender the country, even when I am dead, I will not allow it,” he said.
