Lukashenko makes statement about his successor and promises not to run in next election

Lukashenko assured the journalist he was speaking with that he no longer plans to run for office, claiming that he is now too old for it.

"No, I’m not planning to anymore, not planning to. The only thing I allow myself to think privately — and I haven’t said this publicly either — well, listen, if Trump is nearly 80 and still looks decent…,” the self-proclaimed president said.

At the same time, Lukashenko added that his son, Nikolai, supposedly will not be his successor in the presidential chair.

"No, he’s not a successor. I knew you’d want to ask that. No, no, no. Go ask him — you could seriously offend him with that question," he said in response to the journalist.

'Eternal Pharaoh' Lukashenko

Alexander Lukashenko has been ruling Belarus without interruption since 1994 — over 30 years now — making it the longest continuous term in office among all leaders of post-Soviet countries.

During the sixth presidential election in Belarus, mass protests erupted after Lukashenko once again "won." Despite the regime’s resistance, independent observers documented thousands of violations in Minsk alone, prompting people to take to the streets. In the first days of the crackdown, over 7,000 people were detained, many of whom were beaten and mutilated by security forces.

The United States, Europe, Ukraine, and other civilized countries did not recognize the "election results" or Lukashenko’s victory. Since then, he has been regarded as the self-proclaimed president of Belarus.

Earlier, Lukashenko gathered diplomats and tasked ambassadors with seeking new markets, negotiating deals, and promoting Belarusian products abroad.

It was also recently reported that in Belarus, Lukashenko’s death would be officially considered a military threat, and there is a proposal to significantly expand the powers of the country’s armed forces.