Belarusian President Lukashenko Reveals Bizarre Dispute With Putin Over Who Is the “Bigger Dictator”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in a speech to youth leaders in Minsk that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin regularly trade jokes and arguments over which of them deserves the title of the ultimate dictator.

Lukashenko made the remarks at the “Youth. Belarus. Future.” forum on Sept. 17. His comments highlighted the close political relationship between Minsk and Moscow, while underscoring his status as Europe’s longest-serving head of state.

Lukashenko has governed Belarus without interruption since 1994. Putin has led Russia since 2012, after previously serving as president from 2000 to 2008.

“You know what they say about me?” Lukashenko asked the audience during his Sept. 17 address, according to Novaya Gazeta.

“[I am] the last dictator, the second-to-last dictator in Europe. Dictator, dictator. Vladimir Putin and I often joke and argue about which of us is more of a dictator.

“They say I’m the last dictator, the last dictator in Europe. Dictator — so be it. Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and I often argue, jokingly, about which of us is the bigger dictator.”

Lukashenko, 72, a former Soviet collective farm manager, is widely regarded as Putin’s closest international partner and ally.

Although Minsk has not sent ground troops into Ukraine, Belarus remains a strategically important base for Moscow. Russia has relied on Belarus for military and logistical support throughout its ongoing war against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Post reported that Belarus supplies Russia with important weapons components and permits Russian forces to launch strikes from Belarusian territory.

An August report from Ukrainska Pravda also pointed to construction of a new railway in Belarus’ Gomel Oblast, near the Ukrainian border, designed to accommodate military trains.

The deepening partnership comes as Western governments intensify pressure on Moscow and its allies. The two leaders are also reported to remain in frequent contact.

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Following a meeting in Moscow on Aug. 27, Lukashenko formally congratulated Putin on Sept. 21 after the release of Russia’s election results.

He applauded what he called the “unprecedented turnout of millions of voters” and United Russia’s majority, describing the result as an appropriate answer to “cynical attempts from the outside to discredit the campaign and sow discord.”

Speaking at the Minsk youth forum about Belarus’ political succession, Lukashenko argued that no one is currently ready to assume control of the country.

“Never believe those who say that Lukashenko is ‘clinging to power with blue-knuckled hands’,” he told the gathering.

“Good Lord, let them say it. I have had my fill of this power to the point where I could not possibly want any more of it.

“The only question is whether you are capable today of taking over the country and holding on to it,” he continued. “If you are, start tomorrow. To be frank, I cannot yet answer that question positively. Do not take offense.

“I became a dictator then because I stood up against the entire ‘civilized world.'”

Western nations maintain strict economic pressure on Minsk. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys recently reiterated the Baltic nation’s firm stance.

“We do not see any reasons why our position on Belarus should soften as Belarus is not changing its behavior,” Budrys said.

“On our side, we have to be very exact and continue what works, and that is the pressure on the regime.”

Despite international sanctions, Lukashenko announced Sept. 11 that Belarus has begun selling potash, a primary export used in fertilizer, to the United States.

While Western nations maintain economic restrictions over human rights abuses, U.S. sanctions on Belarusian potash were lifted after recent political prisoner releases, though European Union sanctions remain active.