Ivan Eismant called The Guardian a "British rag" on the "Editors' Club" program and accused the publication of lying. During a broadcast on the First Information Channel on October 3, 2025, the head of Belteleradiocompany introduced a segment that allegedly exposed fakes from an article titled “‘His drug is power’: Lukashenko reaches out to the west.”
"The Guardian writes: 'Belarus' economic dependence on Moscow has only intensified, as Western sanctions have turned the country into a vital channel for Moscow, leading to a temporary growth in exports and government revenues.' The Guardian is lying about the temporary growth. Belarus' exports grow every year. In 2020, exports totaled approximately $61 billion. In 2024, they reached $86 billion."
The segment did not specify what kind of exports they were referring to — goods and services or goods only. But over a 10-year period, both have grown steadily. However, the figures are not what "Editors' Club" stated. According to official statistics, exports of goods in 2020 and 2024 were half that amount — $29.2 billion and $40.3 billion, while exports of goods and services were roughly a third lower — $37.2 billion and $49.6 billion.
"Editors' Club" likely passed off trade volume statistics as export data — that is, all of Belarus' foreign sales and purchases. Moreover, comparing 2024 with 2020 when discussing growth is misleading, since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020 and exports plummeted due to the collapse of global trade.
"Editors' Club" also attempted to refute another claim from the British publication's article: "The Guardian writes: 'As Russia's economy slowed under the weight of sanctions and military spending, Belarus was dragged down with it.' The Guardian is lying! In 2024, Belarus' GDP grew 4%, while Britain's grew 1.1%," the same segment claimed.
In 2024, Belarus' GDP did indeed grow 4%. But Russia's economy was also growing at the time — by approximately 4.3%. In 2025, its pace dropped significantly: based on the first two quarters, growth fell to 1% year-over-year. Belarus' own economy slowed in step with Russia: growth reached just 1.6% from January through August. This proves that The Guardian is not lying.
