West stands to gain from breaking Russia, Belarus apart — Lukashenko

MINSK, September 17. /TASS/. Even as the West wants to drive a wedge between Russia and Belarus, Minsk can confidently say this will never happen, President Alexander Lukashenko said at the youth forum "Youth. Belarus. The Future" dedicated to National Unity Day.

"They tried to test us (during the protests following the 2020 presidential elections - TASS) - it didn’t work. They dream about it, but they don’t say it out loud. I understand: it’s in the West’s interest to break the unity between [Minsk and Moscow]. That’s why I warned them [the Americans] at the very outset of the [negotiations]: the Russian Federation and China are off the table. It’s not up for discussion. When they imposed sanctions against us, it was them who opened the door for us. In large part, it’s thanks to this that we’re living and working today."

Lukashenko said that it is not Belarus, but the resource·rich lands further to the east that are the main target of the Western elites.

"They are ready to trample it [the republic] again, tear it apart, kill every third person, but to break through there -- to the east, to the resources they lack. Well, who doesn’t understand this today?" the president asked.