MINSK. June 24 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has admitted the possibility of declaring martial law, for instance in the Grodno region, in an effort to avert an economic decline amid the tightening of Western sanctions.
"There must not be any slowdown at any enterprise. Let [presidential aide for the Grodno region and former Belarusian Interior Minister Yury] Karayev put on a general's uniform. You [Grodno Region Governor Vladimir Karanik] have also been given the rank of major-general. So, get on with it! It could be martial law if necessary. But there must not be any slowdown," Lukashenko said as Karanik presented his report on the economic situation in the Grodno region.
"We prepared for it [tightening of Western sanctions]. We knew what we may have to deal with," he said.
Karanik, in turn, confirmed that, indeed, "we prepared for that."
"Measures of compensation have been drawn up. Europe is not our main market. We hope that [an economic decline in the region] will be averted, even if there is a slight slowdown at individual enterprises, we will make it up for that with the help of other parameters," the governor said.
Lukashenko, for his part, added, "We need to show these rascals on the other side of the border that their sanctions are their weakness. This is what we need to show them. And we are doing it now."