Putin Ally Hints at Retirement after 30 Years in Power

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko appeared to hint at his possible retirement after marking three decades in power last month.

Lukashenko, 69, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin made some telling comments on August 10, telling Belarusians at a public gathering that they "need to get used to the idea that there will be a different president."

He made the remarks in response to a question about whether he intends to run in the country's upcoming 2025 presidential elections.

Lukashenko was elected as president in 1994 in the first elections held in independent Belarus. He marked 30 years in power on July 20. The next presidential elections in Belarus are to be held no later than July 20, 2025, and he announced his intention to run in February.

"No, I am not saying that I will abandon you tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and so on. But anything can happen in life. You must get used to the fact that I am not eternal, just like all of you," local publication SB cited Lukashenko as saying.

Lukashenko said that before he leaves office, he must "leave a peaceful, calm country."

"When I leave, I will live next to you in a village somewhere, and when I come back, you will remember and be grateful that things have not gotten worse," he said.

He also told residents they must "keep in mind" that not everything in the country depends on him.

There is "unrest" on the Belarusian border due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, he said.

"My main task is to prevent a conflict in the country. So that this infection does not spread to us. We need to protect Belarus from war and calmly sort out our problems," Lukashenko added.

On Monday, the Belarusian leader also moved to amend his country's criminal code—imposing up to eight years in prison for making threats to a former president and his family members, Russian media reported.

Newsweek has contacted the Belarusian ministry of foreign affairs for comment by email.

Belarus, a former Soviet republic, has maintained strong relations with Russia throughout President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022.

While Lukashenko's troops haven't directly joined the Ukrainian conflict, Russian troops have been allowed to conduct exercises on Belarusian territory since before the beginning of the war. The country was used by Russia to help launch its invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

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