How Lukashenko Rambled In Indonesia

• Andrei Bronishevsky
• 3.07.2026, 8:27

A lecturer from the "Znanie" Society always has something to say.

At a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Alexander Lukashenko immediately decided to play his trump cards. Briefly—for about forty minutes, which was all it took—he lectured him on the country’s historical and geographical location. That is, he explained where Belarus is located and recounted how he had fought for Indonesian independence back in 1948. Because a lecturer from the “Znanie” Society always has something to say—even if he has absolutely nothing to say.

“I want to emphasize that Belarus is a central state in Europe,” Lukashenko began.

Then he had to explain it using hand gestures. Because this time, Lukashenko wasn’t provided with any visual aids. After all, it would have been easier to show where the attack on Belarus was being prepared from. But the experienced lecturer from the “Znanie” Society managed just fine.

So, he says, look, here’s the English Channel, got it? Here are the Ural Mountains, understand? We call this Europe. And right in the middle, between the English Channel and the Ural Mountains, is Belarus. Right in the middle, dead center. Point to the center and you won’t miss. Because the middle is right there, in the center. And where the middle is—that’s Belarus. So what does this mean? It means that:

“Belarus is precisely where the center of Europe is.”

And from the center, the rest of Europe is just a stone’s throw away. Because that’s the center, after all. You have to understand that. That’s why “you can work in Europe from Belarus.” But from any other place, you won’t be able to work in Europe. Because there’s no center there. Ironclad logic.

Having outlined his country’s current geographical position in such broad strokes, Lukashenko decided to tell the Indonesian president the story of Indonesia’s struggle against colonial oppression. Well, just in case—who knows, maybe the Indonesian president wasn’t aware of how things stand there now with colonial oppression. So Lukashenko explained it to him.

“You’ve successfully dealt with this problem,” he said.

As for how Belarus fought for Indonesian independence in 1948, the Indonesian president is definitely not aware of that. But Belarus did fight. No less than Lukashenko is now fighting for peace throughout the world.

“From the very first sessions of the UN General Assembly, the Belarusian delegation has categorically opposed the colonial oppression of Indonesia,” said Lukashenko. “And it demanded an end to attempts to stifle Indonesian independence by military means.”

In other words, if the Belarusian delegation hadn’t made that demand in 1948, Indonesian independence would have been crushed by military force. But the Belarusian delegation categorically demanded an end to it, so it wasn’t suppressed. Consequently, it turns out that the Indonesian people owe Alexander Lukashenko a debt of gratitude for the rest of their lives.

So even between the Belarusian and Indonesian peoples, one can find deep historical ties. And perhaps even some buried roots. The main thing is to know where to look. And, of course, the experience of a lecturer at the “Znanie” Society never goes amiss. This experience, by the way, would also come in very handy in retirement. But for that to happen, one would have to loosen those blue fingers after all.

Andrei Bronishevsky, planbmedia.io