MINSK, May 26. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has attributed the West's pressure on Belarus to envy, impotence and malice, the news agency BelTA reports.
"Just look at the unprecedented pressure on our country, the way they want to teach us a lesson very aggressively, to show us our place, and to stir the pot with the dirtiest methods and techniques. The entire escalation from the West is based on their envy, impotence and anger at not being able to carry out an armed rebellion and a coup d'etat in Belarus," Lukashenko said at a meeting with legislators, Constitutional Commission members, and representatives of government agencies on Wednesday.
Lukashenko stressed that Belarus' intelligence services had foiled all anti-government plots.
"These efforts will never come to fruition. Do you know why? Not because you or I or all of us are such tough guys, or because our special services are the best in the world, although this is true in a sense. It's because Belarus is a strong and independent country with very special and proud people who have a keen sense of justice," Lukashenko added.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has also stated that all opponents of the government located abroad are well-known to authorities and "will be held responsible for their crimes according to the law."
"For their crimes, everyone will be held accountable to the law. I have been saying this for two years. I warned all the fugitives and protesters about it. We know who you are," Lukashenko said.
The Belarusian president also commented on statements that the Ryanair emergency landing incident was a special services' operation. "I have to say: guys, you are flattering us. Thank you. If this was an operation, then take note — it went off without a hitch. Meaning that not only did we not violate any international agreements or laws, any international rights, we haven’t even violated a single instruction," he pointed out.
"Belarus is bracing for a situation when the West will "shut down the vector" of economic cooperation with Minsk," Lukashenko proceeded.
"This multi-faceted policy proceeds from economic interests. It’s not like experts interpret it — one vector to the West, another one to the East. This is across the entire world. Yet if the West wants to shut this direction down, there won’t be a collapse."
On May 23, a Vilnius-bound Ryanair plane that took off from Athens made an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport after a reported bomb threat. After the landing and an inspection, no bomb was found inside. The Belarusian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into a false bomb alert. Among the passengers on that flight was Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel, which Minsk recognizes as extremist. Protasevich was detained by law enforcement officials once the plane had landed in the Belarusian capital. On Sunday evening, the plane left Minsk's airport and soon landed in Vilnius.