Statkevich: If mass protests start again, they will no longer be as peaceful as in 2020. And the EU has rightly stopped believing Lukashenka's fairy tales
“I believe that the European Union has finally found a rational approach to Lukashenka,” the politician responded to the words of Maria Kalesnikava.
Mikalai Statkevich at protests
Mikalai Statkevich outlined his political position in an interview with the German publication Zeit.
Mikalai Statkevich: It is impossible for me to leave the country. That would be like abandoning millions of Belarusians who still live here. You know, people constantly approach me on the street, shake my hand, thank me.
ZEIT: And today too?
Statkevich: Yes. So many people left after the mass protests of 2020. Imagine how those who remained here feel. Whose friends, acquaintances, children have left. As if there is no hope, no future in this country at all. But the rejection of Lukashenka's regime is still great. I want to stay with those Belarusians who are here and are just waiting for a new chance to change something.
ZEIT: The mass protests in the summer of 2020 were brutally suppressed, and people are still being imprisoned today for participating in them.
Statkevich: Today you can get ten years in prison for a like or a repost. Entire families are imprisoned. But these terrible repressions exist only because the regime fears new protests. People hate Lukashenka even more, and he feels it. I think Lukashenka sleeps worse at night than I do.
ZEIT: Why do you think so?
Statkevich: If mass protests start again, they will no longer be as peaceful as in 2020, when protesters even cleaned up their own trash.
ZEIT: How should Europe deal with Alexander Lukashenka? Isolate and sanction, like the EU, or still seek dialogue, like the USA?
Statkevich: The West has been falling for Lukashenka's tricks for too long. I believe that the European Union has finally found a rational approach to Lukashenka.
ZEIT: Well-known opposition figures, such as Maria Kalesnikava, warn that such an EU policy could push Belarus into Putin's embrace. Do you still consider the policy of isolation to be correct?
Statkevich: This old fairy tale that Lukashenka allegedly wants to break free from Putin's embrace has been told to the West for many years. But how can Siamese twins separate from each other? At the same time, I am against the isolation of the Belarusian population. People should be able to see something other than Belarus and Russia, and visit relatives in the EU.
ZEIT: And the sanctions policy?
Statkevich: I think that's a question for my home lawyer. Maryna, how many years are they giving for calling for sanctions now? (laughs)
ZEIT: You look calm and full of hope. Aren't you afraid of what else might happen?
Statkevich: I have been fighting with all my might for the freedom of my country for a long time. For this, I have already made many sacrifices and will not stop halfway. How many times could I have died. But today I can look out the window and see trees and the sky — something I haven't seen for years. And I am with my beloved wife. Every day is a gift to me.