Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reported the presence of "armed gangs" near the republic's borders, which, according to him, are planning to seize part of the country's territory. The statement was made in an interview with the BelTA news agency several days before the presidential elections scheduled for January 26. Lukashenko noted that these groups allegedly intend to set their conditions to Minsk after seizing the land. However, specific details about which gangs he had in mind were not given.
"We work with them [the gangs], figuratively speaking. They have not refused to seize a piece of land somewhere and put forward conditions to us," - said the president.
Lukashenko's comment has caused a wide resonance, but many experts consider it part of political rhetoric ahead of the elections.
The aggravation of the topic of external threats is taking place against the backdrop of Lukashenko's statements about his plans to run for president again. If he wins, this will be his seventh term at the head of state. Let us recall that in 2020, after the adoption of the new Constitution, Lukashenko promised not to hold the presidential post again. However, in January of this year, he said that his main goal was to ensure a stable transition of power to the new generation.
“I am not clinging to power and will do everything to transfer it painlessly,” “he noted, adding that he hopes to live “even longer under the new government.”
Lukashenko's words about armed groups have caused lively discussions in the expert community. Political scientists believe that such statements may be aimed at mobilizing the electorate and strengthening the leader's image as a defender of the country. At the same time, it remains unclear whether there is concrete data on the existence of such threats or whether this is an element of election rhetoric.