MINSK. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"We have the same goals regarding Ukraine. Ukraine should be united. No one should divide this great country. For this reason, we should not worry that what happened there will happen here. We need to be worried because our people are living through this difficult crisis there. It's very difficult, and it's only the beginning," Lukashenko said while meeting with the residents of Minsk after laying down a wreath of flowers at the Victory Monument in Minsk, the presidential press service reported.
"They have their problems. Maidan is not a new thing to us. It has happened before, and I am still good friends with the first Maidan activists (Viktor Yushchenk, etc.). They have their issues and we have our issues and we will build our policies on the basis of that. They have their own state and we have our state," Lukashenko said.
"You can say good things on a square and call for anything. However, tomorrow economic and financial issues will arise. People will need to be paid pensions, wages, they will need jobs. Those issues will be faced by the revolution activists tomorrow," Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko recalled that an attempt to organize something like the Ukrainian Maidan in Belarus was made in 2010. "Our people now understand what could have happened. But we didn't pour any water on them, we didn't spray tear gas, we didn't break anyone's limbs. However, if you touched a military man, a police officer, a special task officer who tried to stop you from fighting, the response would be instant," the president said.
"How can I let people spit in a military man's face, let alone kill military men? Don't worry. Everything will be fine. We didn't take anything from each other, we didn't steal anything and we didn't make any money at other people's expense. There, they have reduced people to such a state that they don't care anymore, they think it's not going to get any worse," Lukashenko said.
The presidential press service also reported that Lukashenko had discussed the recent events in Ukraine during a meeting with diplomats who were present at the ceremony for laying down a wreath of flowers to the Victory Monument in Minsk. "Everything will be fine, we are Slavs," Lukashenko told Mykhailo Yezhel, ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus.