Aleksandr Lukashenko attends Victory Day parade in Moscow

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko attended a military parade on Red Square in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Foreign leaders invited to the parade first gathered at the Senate Palace. After arriving and meeting with the Russian President, the delegations were escorted to a special pavilion in Red Square for a brief wait, after which all heads of state moved to the central podium to watch the parade.

The parade featured the military of the CIS countries and armies of other friendly states. Aleksandr Lukashenko greeted the Belarusian servicemen who took part in the parade.

After the parade the Belarusian President together with the Russian President and other foreign leaders laid a wreath and flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin. During the ceremony, the heads of delegations observed a minute of silence to honor the memory of the victims.

The Russian capital hosted more than 20 heads of state. Among them were leaders of the CIS countries, and also China, Brazil, Slovakia, Serbia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Myanmar, Equatorial Guinea and other countries.

After the military parade the Belarusian head of state answered reporters’ questions.

First of all, the President shared his impressions of the Victory Day parade.

“The best parade you have ever held in the Russian Federation. I didn't take part in Soviet parades as I was still very young. But I have seen all Russian parades. I can say that this one has been the best ever,” the President said.

“Some may have been upset that there was less military hardware, especially in the flypast. You understand perfectly well that it is wartime. Military hardware cannot be taken away from the front for being displayed here. The showcase included new samples. Well done. We know that. We have purchased such hardware from the Russian Federation. I am quite happy with what I have seen here today,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“We will continue this in Minsk today. The Victory Day parade in the Belarusian capital will start at 20.30. We have moved it to the evening because of my visit to Moscow,” the head of state said.
The head of state was asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin should now agree to a ceasefire.

“President Putin owes nothing to anybody. I want you to understand this. This is the first thing. As for the ceasefire, I can quote his words. We discussed the matter during our recent meeting in Volgograd. They are ready for it. Russia has long been ready for not just a ceasefire but for a peace deal,” the President said.

“It is not about Russia. You need to sort things out with the other side, as far as I understand it. As soon as the USA and Ukraine decide on peace, Europe will toe the line and peace will come,” the Belarusian leader is confident.
The head of state was asked whether the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the parade in Moscow was symbolic.

“Indeed, we have a unified opinion, a unified international agenda. The fact that President Xi Jinping came to Moscow to attend the parade is not only symbolic. It's very important for the future of the world. It shows that China and Russia will continue to develop and strengthen their alliance,” the head of state said.

According to him, the United States considers such an alliance dangerous, as it is impossible to break it.

“Xi Jinping's arrival in Moscow shows that, while being careful, cautious in politics, China will definitely stand with Russia. One should get used to it,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

When asked why it was important to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War, the President said: “We keep hearing calls on us from abroad to stop [remembering the Victory and the events of the war period]. I said many times that that as soon as we stop it, then war will be back. Why do they make these calls on us to stop commemorating the war? They want us to forget the Victory which is a major example for us today.”

In this regard, the President mentioned Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. “More is definitely coming. They [opponents] are preparing for war. They are not hiding it. The fact that we remember the feat in our hearts and minds is bad for them. This means we will defend our land the way they [our ancestors] did. That is why they are against it, but we are holding our line. This is especially relevant today, because they are preparing for war,” the Belarusian leader said.

In an interview with China’s CGTN TV Channel the head of state said that Belarus is ready to continue its policy towards further building cooperation with China.

“Everything depends on the PRC. If we continue to build our relations as we have done so far, we have good prospects. You have realized today that you need us very much. Amid the aggravation of the situation on all flanks, Belarus maybe the only window to Europe for China here, in the European part. We are very grateful to you for the economy. You have given us a lot of technologies that we did not have, and financial support. We are trying to respond in kind and not to let our Chinese friends down. In short, we are ready to build our policy towards closer cooperation,” the head of state said.

Returning to the theme of celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized the greatest significance of this day and the feat of the Soviet people. He noted that during the Second World War, China lost about 35 million people in the fight against Japanese militarism, according to official estimates.

“We stood together with you and together we brought the Second World War to an end there, in the Far East. Therefore, this alliance between China and the entire post-Soviet space is important for us, for the future. There is no country that would have a bad or wary attitude towards China. There is no such an independent country in the post-Soviet space. We stood together with you then and we stand with you today,” the President said.

He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow demonstrated this unity.

“It is important for us. Because they [opponents abroad] are preparing for war. Our feat - both ours and yours - in World War II is very important for the present generation. We should protect our land, our family, our children, our loved ones just like they did then,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian President also had a brief conversion with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico after the Victory Parade in Moscow. The communication between the two leaders took place “on the feet” after the solemn events.

“Well done! You said that you would come. And you did!” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.