Beginning of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Minsk, June 30, 2022

Alexander Lukashenko: It’s a pleasure to see the world’s top diplomat.

Sergey Lavrov: That would be Josep Borrell.

Alexander Lukashenko: I mean who has more work to do. You are right about him. I’m also watching him, an interesting person.

Sergey Lavrov: Mr Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin sends his greetings. You had a meeting with him several days ago. He supports our intensive allied dialogue moving forward.

Alexander Lukashenko: ... Frankly, we get from Russia everything a sovereign and independent state may need. Yes, we’ve been through things. We had debates like close people do. I’m always saying that this is something to relish, because not a single Western state (take the most recent summits, for instance), no one has debates with anyone anywhere. Big boss from the Central Party Committee, or rather the regional party committee from Washington, shows up and doesn’t even say anything, just gives them a look, and they start running around.

Sergey Lavrov: As is known, the truth is born from disagreement.

Alexander Lukashenko: ...That’s the time we’re living in. When they don’t listen to what you, diplomats, have to say then they have to listen to other people. We are for diplomacy working effectively. But what can we do if there’s a hybrid war underway? They started with the media, then silenced the diplomats and sort of tossed them away. Not a single international platform produces results, including our main one. Well, what are we supposed to do? We have to defend ourselves, to offer resistance.

Sergey Lavrov: They took the money away.

Alexander Lukashenko: ... It was not a staged performance. Regarding nuclear weapons, too. We took another small step. They are already flying and training. Why train and carry around nuclear blanks? That’s because tomorrow they will put a real nuclear bomb on the plane and drop it where they want. We have not yet provided our mirror answer. Nuclear weapon warehouses are in Russia, we don’t have any. And, as Vladimir Putin rightly said, six countries have their nuclear warheads.

Sergey Lavrov: They have been flying for many years now. They let pilots from non-nuclear countries fly aircraft designed to carry nuclear weapons. This violates the NPT Treaty.

Alexander Lukashenko: We must keep the gunpowder dry across all areas. No one should be yelling that “Putin seized Belarus,” or that he “is doing as he pleases.” We are pursuing a coordinated reasonable policy of two sovereign states, and Vladimir Makei and Sergey Lavrov bear primary responsibility for it.

Sergey Lavrov: Under the guidance of the Supreme Commanders.

Alexander Lukashenko: …This does not relieve us of our responsibility. We are absolutely clear-eyed about ongoing developments. And it is better to show them what may happen, than let it happen in real life. We don’t need this war.

Sergey Lavrov: They are aware of this. I believe that more and more right-headed people there are starting to think about what will happen next when this situation is over. We need to think about pan-European cooperation. I’m not sure what kind of cooperation we are talking about. It’s hard to imagine anything in the current circumstances. But the fact is that building security in Europe without you and us is impossible. Many people are beginning to realise this.

Alexander Lukashenko: ... It is quite an understandable demand to say “no” to nationalism which morphs into fascism. We don’t need that, and Europe doesn’t need that. They are cultivating and supporting it in Ukraine. What if it spills out in Europe tomorrow? They don’t need that. Europe doesn’t need that, especially Germany. They remember the lessons of history. They must understand that it will sprout and grow roots throughout Europe.

Sergey Lavrov: I read yesterday that the Alternative for Germany party has set up a non-governmental organisation in Germany to combat Russophobia. This is starting to show up in the public sphere as well.

Alexander Lukashenko: You understand better than anyone that they have left us without an alternative. We offered them security ahead of the operation, and the signing of agreements, talks, and so on, without operations or hostilities, without firing shots. They didn’t want to. This is their choice.

Sergey Lavrov: Now again the NATO summit adopted documents where our country is called the main threat and China the main challenge. The open door policy and the decision adopted in Bucharest in 2008 on the prospects for NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia were reaffirmed.