President: We must endure it whatever it takes

Using sanctions to put pressure on a sovereign state is lawlessness and blackmail on an international scale! This is how the restrictions imposed on our country are viewed from Minsk.

Today, the President held a large meeting with the government to discuss the strategy of countering and counter-measures against sanctions. Another package against us was introduced on the day of the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Belarusians are simply obliged to endure the economic war as heirs of the generation of victors.

The struggle for resources and redistribution of the world is in full swing. It is important that in these geopolitical battles ordinary people did not suffer - that is what the President has instructed the government, the National Bank and the Foreign Ministry. As for the economy - we do not intend to slow down!

"We don't attack anyone, but we are always ready to defend ourselves!" That's just how our defense strategy is formulated. Thanks God, no cannons are being fired, but it is obvious that an economic and political war is being waged. Here we intend to adhere to the same "military" principle. If the West waves the "sanctions stick", Belarus must be ready to fight back.

Meeting on counteraction to sanctions measures

Although this is not a military meeting, but the participants of the meeting know what real attacks are. That's a new geopolitical reality - no one is spared. So it's high time to discuss how to minimize the effect of restrictive measures.

"There's no talk about the fact that we may fall short somewhere, reduce the rate, the growth of our economy, which was formed in the first half of the year. This is out of the question. Whatever it takes, we have to endure it. There is a war going on. The use of restrictive measures as an instrument of pressure on a sovereign state is lawlessness and blackmail on an international scale. The blackmail, which is condemned as an inadmissible measure in the documents of the UN and other international organizations," said the President.

"The fact that another package of sanctions against Belarus was introduced on the day of the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War can be explained by the fact that the "democratic" Europe, which advocates the rule of law, does not care about the people, who suffered most of all from the barbaric and inhuman invasion of European fascism in its time, and about the observance of any decency. It's clear: they have begun a new campaign to the East," said Alexander Lukashenko.

"One does not need much evidence for this. The sanctions are imposed not only against us, but even more massive, more sensitive sanctions against the Russian Federation. It's not just the date that got me thinking. The prompt and coordinated actions of European bureaucracy and the unison of Brussels and Washington in introducing sanctions against Belarus made many experts think of a well-planned action. The story with the landing of the Ryanair plane is just a formal occasion."

Belarus has always been a reliable shield for Europe. When it came to curbing illegal migration, drug trafficking, smuggling, Western neighbors have taken it for granted.

European sanctions are actually a punitive operation in the modern manner.

All sanctions are just unceremonious attempts to eliminate economic competitors and get their hands on resources. Nobody wants strong players today! Their aim is to seize assets, clear the field for their business, and get cheap labor to come to Europe themselves. The scheme of "democratization" of the country has been fine-tuned, in particular, on the Ukrainian training ground. But Belarus is still learning from others' mistakes.