Kochanova shared her views on when patriotism becomes dangerous and whether there will be WWIII

In her talk with the Belarus 1 TV channel, the Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, Natalya Kochanova, was asked whether patriotism could be dangerous

According to Ms. Kochanova, anything can be dangerous if it goes to insane limits. “What is patriotism? It is just love for your family, your parents, your country and people who live next to you. However, it should not be allowed to be transformed into some kind of Nazism, crazy nationalism. It is necessary to treat everything reasonably. Patriotism is not just taking a flag and walking around with it in hands, while shouting something. This should be done when it is really necessary – not alone, but getting together to say that you support your country, that you stand for Belarus. That is what patriotism means. It is necessary not to betray your country and not to betray yourself, then it will be easier for you in life. We are not eternal on the earth, but we should live our life in such a way so that we are not ashamed of ourselves. It is actually the hardest thing to be honest with yourself when you are alone. That is why I ask myself every night whether I was right or wrong over the day. I am thinking over everything, reassessing my steps,” she explained.

Ms. Kochanova was also asked of whether there will be World War III, and she replied, “No one is immune from anything, and it is difficult to answer this question now – since everything depends on us: how we will live, how we will love our country and do everything to ensure that it develops in peace and tranquillity. The role of politicians – the wisdom of the state leaders in decision-making – is very important. Their wisdom lies in the prevention of the inciting of a global conflict. It is important to find a common language and common ground. This is what our President always calls for: let's resolve issues at the negotiating table, and not by rattling weapons. However, many people fail to hear this.”