"If we eat potatoes, we don't lose weight": Belarus suffers a panic attack after Lukashenko calls for people not to eat the tuber.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has recommended that people reduce their potato consumption to avoid gaining weight, amid criticism over the shortage of this staple food.

"If we eat potatoes, we won't lose weight," the Belarusian president said, quoted by the BELTA news agency, who is aiming for the Belarusian population to significantly reduce their consumption of the tuber.

The Belarusian leader and friend of Vladimir Putin added that the tuber should be consumed "once a week, or twice at most," either by baking it or making a puree.

Commenting on the news about the food shortage , Lukashenko claimed that it was created artificially and was motivated by "political reasons."

According to the president, warehouse inspections show that there are surplus potatoes , but they do not always reach the consumer.

"It's in the warehouses. Why not on the counter? It's politics!" he insisted.

According to statistics, potato production fell by 14.5% in Russia and 22.6% in Belarus in 2024 compared to the previous year due to poor growing conditions , which caused a shortage of the food in both countries and led to its rising price.