Lukashenko demands strict price controls as economy becomes “real battlefield”

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has ordered the government to exercise strict control over prices and ensure fair pricing, citing inflation as the primary concern for citizens.

The directive came as he received the government’s report on 2025, Caliber.Az reports per Belarusian media.

“The government can say they missed the target by just a little, but the fact is that price growth stood at 106.8% against a target of no more than 105%,” Lukashenko stated.

He also criticised official statistics, calling the aggregate indicator from the Belarusian National Statistics Agency (Belstat) unrepresentative, noting that for many essential goods, prices have increased substantially more.

Addressing the broader economic situation, Lukashenko described the economy as the new front line.

“The times are almost wartime. Why? The economy has become the real battlefield. The goals of classical warfare are being achieved through economic instruments: to appropriate resources, to provoke social unrest, to force compliance with others’ rules – to live by different rules,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev