Lukashenko dismisses reports about Navalny's poisoning as fake

“I have been following the developments in Russia and I have noticed that they in the West came up with a new gimmick. It is again Novichok [chemical nerve agent], again poisoning. I should tell you that yesterday or the day before yesterday, I do not remember exactly, before Merkel made a statement saying that it was an attempt to silence Navalny, we had intercepted a conversation. As far as we understood, it was Warsaw talking to Berlin. Two people were speaking. The conversation was intercepted by our electronic warfare specialists from our military intelligence. Taking into consideration that we redeployed some units there [to the western border], naturally we are involved in an electronic warfare with NATO. We intercepted an interesting conversation (I will forward it to you, we will also send it to the FSB). This conversation clearly suggests that it was a hoax. Navalny was not poisoned,” the Belarusian head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko assumed that a group of experts had prepared some facts for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her office, and maybe also the statement she made. “They did it, I am quoting ‘in order to discourage Putin from poking his nose into Belarus' affairs'. I have just quoted this conversation. Do you see how Jesuitically these people act,” the president said.

“Thus, I think that Bortnikov and Naryshkin [the heads of Russia's special services] will have to come to grips with this situation. We will forward the voice we recorded and the text. All the materials will be sent to your special services today or tomorrow, so that they will find out who is behind it. There was another quote: ‘After all, they are having elections soon, election day in Russian regions'. In other words, they know that Russia is having elections and they wanted to play a nasty trick in the run-up to it. We believe they will come up with something else. This is their style. This is their face,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“Belarus was also mentioned there. I will forward this conversation to you, so that you will be able to read it,” the president added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko assumed that ‘they will make our life tough'. “I have no doubts about it. However, you should know that we are fully determined to defend our sovereignty and independence and we will not let anyone coerce us. We are aware of who is pulling the strings. We see that they are already up to their neck in this lie and deception. However, truth has always prevailed. I believe that God is on our side,” the president added.