Lukashenka says Russian leadership “stupid“

The Belarusian ruler focused on the upcoming presidential election in his speech at the Harvest Festival held in the town of Lida.

The dictator again said there were attempts to "destabilize the political and economic situation" in Belarus.

"They think they can make me bend down and ruin the country. I say again: it’s impossible to bend me down. I can listen to one’s opinion, can meet halfway, but it’s no point in bending me down," Alyaksandr Lukashenka told journalists on Saturday, Interfax-Zapad news agency reports.

Commenting on the opposition criticizing him, he said "It’s only the beginning". "You will be surprised how much will be written and said about me ahead of December 19," the ruler said.

According to him, "we have been scared with devaluation and collapse so many times, but I have always said ‘come down, Belarusians’. If there are problems tomorrow, I will tell myself in order people could be prepared," Lukashenka noted.

As he thinks, "the situation is not critical today". "But our opponents, or as I call them enemies of people, find it profitable to destabilize the situation in such sectors as financial market, pricing, policy, security. They do this not to win the election but to show that Lukashenka cannot cope," the ruler said.

According to him, it’s just politics, they’ll stop writing this after New Year’s Day.

"There won’t be external interference with the situation in the country. Neither Russia, nor the West and America will do this. Are they fools? Don’t they understand our situation?" Lukashenka said.

As said by him "Even if they try to bite us two or three times, there won’t be interference." "We are ready for this," he noted.

According to him, it is not important whether the presidential election will be recognized or not. "There will be attempts to scare us, there will be shouts ‘we’ll kill you, we’ll stab you. Sixteen years have passed, but I am alive, you can see. That is born to be shot shall never be drowned," the ruler noted.

Speaking about possible influence of Russia on the election and attempts to raise a pro-Russian candidate to power, Lukashenka said: "That is you, not me, who have the key to the Belarusian election in the pocket."

"My duty is to secure absolutely transparent and free election. It’s not important whether the election will be recognized or not", he noted adding that the main thing is recognition by the people of Belarus.

"I am a person who is most interested in honest election," Lukashenka said.

The Belarusian president believes the Kremlin won’t influence the election. "If it is any influence, it will be only positive. All this dirt was an advantage for us. I wish they would go on with their stupid behavior," the Belarusian ruler said.