Belarus Secured Its Complete Safety, Says Lukashenko

In a recent interview with MTRK “Mir,” President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko discussed why Germany and Poland seem to forget the lessons of World War II.

"Now everything has been forgotten in Germany," he remarked. "The fear has vanished along with the generation that came to fight here. The eyewitnesses have faded away, giving rise to a new generation. Their politics are shaped by states even further to the west, such as the British and the United States. And, to put it mildly, the Germans have become adrift. They have forgotten everything that transpired. Yet, occasionally, there are murmurs among them: 'No, no, we have no place in the East; we shouldn’t be fighting there. No, we shall not go to the Russians.' This indicates that some semblance of memory occasionally awakens in their grandchildren. But it's like the cries of a solitary voice in the wilderness—nothing more," Lukashenko stated.

The President also noted that similar behavior is exhibited by the Baltic States and Poland. "We lost hundreds of thousands of our own people there—600,000 in Poland alone—but it is all forgotten. However, this is not forgotten. It is their policy. We haven’t forgotten because we choose not to, while they wish to forget. And indeed, they are in the process of forgetting. Fortunately, through economic interactions, people are beginning to recognize the value of these eastern ties. I believe it will not be long before they come to understand. We need to focus less on their affairs and concentrate on our own issues and tasks," he expressed firmly.

During the interview, a journalist asked the President to comment on one of his previous quotes: "Memory can be stolen, but not the truth," which he had stated at the CIS summit in Moscow while addressing the leaders in honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory.

Lukashenko explained that while memory can be clouded, sullied, or twisted in any direction, the truth—rooted in living facts—cannot be escaped. "So how can you steal the truth? Yes, one can attempt to distort it, but that is very challenging. This may only last for a time, catering to some fleeting trend. However, sooner or later, time sets everything straight. Therefore, because truth is founded on facts, it is impossible to steal," the President emphasized.

He also reminded listeners of the instances of genocide against the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. "I have serious doubts that there are places without these graves. We have unearthed these sites—just look at the number of lives lost. This is the truth of that era; how can you steal it? You cannot steal it: it is based on concrete facts, on a specific and unvarnished history," Alexander Lukashenko added.