‘I’m Not Going To Die’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko responded to rumors of his ill health on Tuesday, amid speculation that the leader had been unwell since his appearance at Victory Day celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9.

“I’m not going to die, guys,” Lukashenko, 68, told officials in a video that was broadcast by state-run outlet Pul Pervovo, which reports on the president’s activities.

The health of Lukashenko has been the topic of intense speculation after his Red Square appearance in which he appeared to look slightly unwell.

Lukashenko was photographed at the May 9 event with a bandage on his right arm but skipped other parts of the commemorations, cutting short his participation in the day that marks the Soviet Union’s role in World War II.

He also missed an annual ceremony event on May 14 in which allegiance to the Belarusian flag is celebrated. Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko read out a message on Lukashenko’s behalf at the event.

A Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee of CIS affairs, also weighed in on the speculation, suggesting that Lukashenko had been ill prior to the Victory Day parade.

“But even though the man got sick, he thought it was a matter of duty to come to Moscow and then hold events in Minsk later that same day. He probably just needs a bit of rest—that’s all there is to it,” Zatulin said.

Lukashenko brushed off the rumors that he could be seriously ill, telling officials on Tuesday that he had a common cold virus and recovered quickly.

“If someone thinks I’m about to die—calm down. Calm down,” Lukashenko said. “It’s nothing more than chatter on messengers and Telegram channels.”

Lukashenko suggested his presidential duties could have hindered his recovery time.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to get treated—I had to go to Moscow, then Leningrad, then subotniki [volunteer activities]. And then you dragged me to Grodno, to the square, we hugged there with those girls, then in Gomel with [Ivan] Krupko [head of Gomel region]. All that piled up,” he said.

“I’m not going to die, guys. You’ll have to struggle with me for a very long time to come,” Lukashenko added.

Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Belarus, a loyal Kremlin ally, hasn’t directly joined the Ukraine conflict, Russian troops have been allowed to do exercises on Belarusian territory since before the beginning of the war. The country was used by Russia to launch its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

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