Иван Тертель. Скриншот видео
State Security Committee (KGB) chairman Ivan Tertel has reacted to a proposal by the United Transitional Cabinet to hold a round table to resolve the political crisis and said that these plans will not succeed. Earlier, Alyaksandr Lukashenka also spoke out against holding a round table.
Tertel said that Belarus’s opponents are allegedly seeking to change the country’s constitutional system.
“I would like to state, on the basis of documentary materials that are reported to the head of state and on the basis of which decisions are taken, that the long-term plans of our opponents have not changed. The main thing is, of course, a geopolitical redivision in the region and the accompanying goals — a change of the constitutional system in the Republic of Belarus, attempt number two,” Tertel said after reporting to Lukashenka on December 24.
According to the KGB chief, Belarus’s democratic forces have changed their tactics and are trying to reach out to young people and officials in Belarus and to organise a round table. Tertel stressed that there would be no dialogue.
“At the same time, tactics are being transformed, approaches are being reworked on how to achieve these goals. There are certain trends that they are now trying to implement. In particular, this is a drive towards our youth, a drive towards our state apparatus and the implementation of the scenario of a so-called round table. We assure you that these plans will not succeed. In this regard, both foreign intelligence and other units of the State Security Committee are working on the instruction of our supreme commander-in-chief, and all obstacles are being put in place to ensure that a scenario similar to the Ukrainian one, prepared for our country, is not implemented,” Tertel said.
It should be recalled that in August 2025 the United Transitional Cabinet adopted a statement on holding a round table to resolve the political crisis in Belarus with the participation of all political and public forces. It proposed involving international mediators represented by partner countries and key international organisations. The United Transitional Cabinet suggested that the Lukashenka regime meet minimum conditions to begin dialogue: release political prisoners and halt repression.
Lukashenka said he does not intend to conduct any negotiations.
“Who am I supposed to sit down at the table with? With those who ruined the country? All right, I could step over that. But what good are they? Will they help us — the people, the state — in any way? They are no help to us. And if you walk through filth, you can get smeared with filth. Why would I need that? I do not need it. We do not forbid anyone from talking, please. But I have nothing to talk to them about,” he said.