On September 30, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave an hour-and-seven-minutes-long interview to CNN (President.gov.by, September 30). He agreed to speak under the condition that the cable news channel publish a full recording of the interview, which it did. It is difficult to judge how those viewers not deeply immersed in issues related to Belarus perceived the interview; but it seems that Matthew Chance, CNN’s senior international correspondent based in Moscow, fell into the all-too-familiar trap of underrating Lukashenka. This impression does not pass any moral judgment on Lukashenka himself; rather, it reflects the Belarusian leader’s mental agility and communication skills. At the same time, on online social networks, opposition-minded Belarusians set off an avalanche of harsh criticism of Chance, caused by the mere fact that he referred to Lukashenka as “president” (Svaboda.org, October 1).
Hopes for Solution to Belarus’s Political Crisis Derailed Again – Jamestown
