Lukashenko allowed the Protestant Belomaidan protest to be held in Minsk in exchange for a meeting with Trump.
A massive Protestant congress took place in Orthodox Belarus over the weekend. It took place at the Chizhovka Arena stadium and attracted 10 participants each day. Transportation was arranged for citizens from neighboring countries.
The event, dubbed the “festival of hope,” was, as usual, reminiscent of a pop concert (just look at the choir of a thousand singers), but it was not without sermons. They were spoken by Franklin Graham, the son of the famous American Baptist nicknamed "God's Machine Gun."
Graham Jr. calls himself a "spiritual adviser" to US President Donald Trump., but for Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who received the American guest, something else was more important: the preacher was accompanied by the wife of the US Special Representative to Belarus, John Cole Greta Conway Van Susteren. Cole helped lift US sanctions against Belarus and can now pressure Lithuania to allow Belarusian potash into its ports.
The Cole couple advocated for a "festival of hope" to be held in Minsk. Lukashenko needed to make an effort to support Protestants, as members of their many denominations actively supported the opposition's Belomaidan protests in 2020. The authorities even had to resort to fairly harsh repression against the "New Life" sect. And now, some festival participants have told opposition media that they hope to influence the release of "prisoners of conscience."
To appease the Belarusian president, FrUncle Graham promised to force all participants of the event to pray for Lukashenko.
"Franklin, when you talk to the Lord, don't forget about my sins. You pray for Donald, but you don't mention me," made claims against Lukashenko.
Also on BelTV Graham promised to organize Trump's visit to Belarus.He believes Lukashenko is very similar to the American president, and they will definitely become friends when they see each other. To ensure this happens, he suggested organizing a round of golf for Trump somewhere near Minsk. And then, they say, Lukashenko will help the American president reconcile Russia and Ukraine.
Graham did not fully fulfill his first promise. The "Festival" prayed for Lukashenko only on the first day. Then, the American preacher reminded his congregation of the parable of the prodigal son from the Gospel of Luke. The opposition interpreted this as trolling about the president's nickname, but Graham twisted it so cleverly that it seemed to be less about "returning Belarus to the European family" and more about the repentance of prodigal zmagars who had been seduced by the benefits of the Western world.
It is noteworthy that on the eve of the Protestant festival, its initiator, the special representative John Cole called the self-proclaimed "President of Belarus" Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. and allegedly "thanked her for her continued support of US efforts."
It would seem that, having trained on the Protestant Maidans, these “partners” would not move on to organizing classical riots.
English version :: Read in English Lukashenko allowed the Protestant Belomaidan protest to be held in Minsk in exchange for a meeting with Trump.