Lukashenko describes Putin’s election victory as overwhelming

"I have just spoken with the Russian president and congratulated him on winning the president election First of all, he asked to convey his gratitude to those present here and to other people who helped to organize the president election in Belarus (we had six polling stations)," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “The election was held in the most orderly manner like nowhere else. Despite the West’s attempts to destabilize the situation here, the results are very good. The Russian Embassy worked very well, in contact with our authorities. Therefore, I convey to you the Russian president's gratitude for the work and organization of the presidential election in Belarus."

The head of state noted that the absolute majority of voters cast their votes for the incumbent president. "The support is overwhelming," the Belarusian leader said. “The results are very serious, and the turnout was very high. The turnout was record high for the Russian Federation. Therefore, with such a high turnout, the results were unexpected to some extent. This is my position, and I told him that."

Aleksandr Lukashenko added that any event presents a learning experience. This time, the most important lesson, according to him, is that foreign forces cannot impose their will on the peoples of Belarus and Russia.

"If you try to do that, people will do the opposite, no matter how difficult things are for them. Therefore, the well-known forces failed to impose their will on the Russians. The people did great, they rallied together during this election period and showed who the boss in the house is. Secondly, it was a serious signal to the West, who staked their bets on destabilizing Russia from within. Since things are not working out for them at the front, they tried to mess things up from within. It didn't work out either. And thirdly, we must understand that this is a lesson for us as well. In the run-up to 2025, the election in Belarus, it is important to carefully study the Russian experience," the president stressed.

The head of state said that the Russian Presidential Administration had planned and organized the electoral process brilliantly. "Naturally, the president had to work hard, you saw it. Unbelievably hard. He did a great job, traveled all over Russia, visited different places and answered the burning questions of Russian society. The planning that went into the pre-election process and the election campaign itself was very good. There's a lot to learn. Everyone was mobilized and united, as the Presidential Administration had hoped. Everyone worked patriotically and this yielded an excellent result. This is a lesson for us," the Belarusian leader said.

"We have agreed with the Russian president (this is very important) that Belarus will be able to take part in all the programs that he voiced in his address to the Russians. The plans are very interesting, they are achievable. They are estimated at about RUB9 trillion. The Russian president said that he will be happy to see Belarusians to contribute to these plans," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He recalled that Belarus and Russia are now implementing various joint projects. For example, there are plans to build a high-speed railway. "From Moscow through Minsk and, as I has suggested to Vladimir Putin, to Brest. Many other plans are underway. Therefore, there is full support. There is a lot of work to do. But Belarus will need to live through the election in 2025," the president added.