MINSK, May 7. /TASS/. Proposals from Belarusian opposition figures residing abroad to impose harsh sanctions against the republic surprise even the Europeans, President Alexander Lukashenko claimed Friday.
"They [opposition figures] sit there [and say]: more sanctions, more! Listen, the Europeans, who are against us themselves were shocked by these demands," Lukashenko said, according to BelTA.
Lukashenko also reacted to the opposition’s calls to take to the streets on Victory Day.
"My first thought was: under what flags? So they said today: under the red and green ones [Belarusian state flags]. Then where is the idea, the essence of this fight?" the head of state quipped. According to the president, the war veterans would not accept the white, red and white flags of the opposition.
"That’s a poor idea, as well. They do realize that we cannot allow them to smear Victory Day by the flags of traitors," Lukashenko said.
He also pointed out that the opposition has been trying to intensify protests and rock the situation to make it harder for the country to access funding.
"They were not simply hinted, they had their funding cut. They were told: when there will be actions like killing the president and so forth - then you will have money, and they are told the price," the president said.
According to Lukashenko, the Belarusians will not be pulled into such actions.
"The Belarusians are different now. They saw why these things are being done. Yes, Lukashenko may be bad, the power may be wrong, but they know already what will happen without this Lukashenko. They know and they can compare," the head of state concluded.
Following the Belarusian presidential election in August last year, the European Union adopted three sanctions packages against a number of Belarusian companies and individuals, whom Brussels considers involved in the alleged falsification of the election’s outcome, as well as responsible for the violence and groundless arrests. Washington is also renewing sanctions against nine Belarusian petrochemical companies. In response, Belarus restricted the import of products from three leading European companies: Liqui Moly, Skoda Auto and Beiersdorf.