Lukashenko slams conflicts, wars at climate change summit in Dubai

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a few harsh remarks about conflicts and wars and about their initiators during the 28th conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “All the speakers, particularly those, who spoke here first, expressed concern about sources of funding. Come on! Even reporters, who are here, can tell you where you can find money. In order to answer this question, one has to look at recent history. An example. In order to destroy Iraq and Afghanistan and ‘do good' to these nations, an estimated amount of $1.5-2 trillion has been spent. Iraq and Afghanistan cost about $2 trillion to the aggressor. Can you calculate how much money has been spent on protecting these countries? How many people died? It cannot be calculated in U.S. dollars. A war is going on in Ukraine now. It will cost more than $1.5-2 trillion. It will cost $5 trillion if a peace agreement is achieved soon.”

“Why is peace absent in this part of the planet today? Because the speakers, who spoke first, talk about peace, talk about a clean planet. They care about grandchildren and yet they have started and are waging the scariest war on the planet,” Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out. “How much will the slaughter in the Middle East cost? What if a war begins in the Pacific? It will cost trillions upon trillions of U.S. dollars. So let's spend them on cleaning the planet. Then we would not have to scare up funds for it.”

“We have gathered here in order to once again express concern. Those, who spoke here first, those, who ‘care for the grandchildren', are waging these wars. And wars greatly pollute the planet. Let's stop it. This is why the most important thing is for us to learn how to speak less and do more. I understand that if we pass some declaration or a memorandum as we always do, it is unlikely we will accomplish anything. It has been said here by the people, who spoke at the beginning, that 80% of pollution on the planet comes from 20 leading countries. Mister chairman, instead of concern let's use the declaration to write down our demand for them to at least halve their atmospheric emissions. We will not do it. Why have we gathered then? This is money, readily available money. $10 trillion that we can spend on cleaning our planet by stopping wars,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.