Lukashenko Recalls Putin Debate on the ‘Bigger Dictator’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin regularly joke—and sometimes argue—about which of them deserves the title of the world’s ultimate dictator.

Speaking to youth leaders in Minsk at the “Youth. Belarus. Future.” forum on Sept. 17, Lukashenko’s remarks underscored the close political relationship between Belarus and Russia. The Belarusian leader has also embraced his reputation as Europe’s longest-serving head of state.

Lukashenko has ruled 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 over 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, previously managed a Soviet collective farm and is widely regarded as Putin’s closest international partner and ally.

Although Minsk has not sent ground troops into the war in Ukraine, Belarus has become a strategically important staging area 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 critical weapons components and permits Russian forces to launch military strikes from Belarusian territory.

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

The deepening relationship comes as Western officials intensify pressure on Moscow and its allies. Lukashenko and Putin are also reported to remain in frequent contact.

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

He praised the “unprecedented turnout of millions of voters” and the majority won by the United Russia party, describing the result as an appropriate response to “cynical attempts from the outside to discredit the campaign and sow discord.”

During the Minsk youth forum, where he discussed the question of political succession in Belarus, Lukashenko said no one was currently prepared to assume control of the country.

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

“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 added. “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.