Alexander Lukashenko, who has crushed dissent in Belarus for the past 26 years, conceded in his interview with Russian journalists that he may have held onto power too long.
"Yes, maybe I overstayed a bit," Russian journalist Roman Babayan cited Mr Lukashenko as saying.
But the 66-year-old leader said he was the only person capable of protecting the country for now.
Mr Lukashenko said his supporters would be attacked if he left power, said Mr Babayan, editor-in-chief of the Moscow Talks radio station.
"I won't talk to the opposition Co-ordination Council because I don't know who these people are," Mr Lukashenko said.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Source: Sputnik Government
"They are no sort of opposition. Everything they suggest is a catastrophe for Belarus and the Belarusian people."
Belarus has been in a tense political stalemate since the disputed presidential election on August 9, with protesters flooding the streets and security forces responding with mass arrests and - according to some of those detained - beatings and torture.'
Belarus opposition leader 'ripped up passport'
Last week, Belarusian authorities allegedly drove prominent opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova to the border with Ukraine a day after she was snatched from the street in Minsk but she tore up her passport so they could not force her to cross, two of her allies say.
The fate of Ms Kolesnikova, a key figure during four weeks of mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, had been a mystery since supporters said masked men had whisked her away in a van on Monday.
Belarusian police were quoted as saying they had not detained her.
Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova was reportedly snatched by masked men in an attempt to deport her to Ukraine. Source: AP
Two fellow opposition figures, Anton Rodnenkov and Ivan Kravtsov told a news conference in Kyiv that they had been detained by Belarusian officials in plain clothes, who escorted them to the border and then put Ms Kolesnikova into their car and told them to cross.
"As soon as she ended up in the car and saw her passport, she immediately took her passport and tore it up into little pieces and crumpled the pieces and threw them out the window at the people standing around the car," Mr Rodnenkov said.
"After that, she opened the window and got out (through the window) and walked towards the Belarusian border."
There she was detained by the Belarussians again.
Ms Kolesnikova's disappearance followed the arrest or flight of other opposition figures before and since last month's presidential election, which official results showed had been won by Mr Lukashenko with 80 per cent of the vote.
Police in Belarus detain opposition activitists during a march in support of Maria Kolesnikova. Source: AP
Deputy Ukrainian Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko had earlier told Reuters Kolesnikova had successfully prevented "a forcible expulsion from her native country".
"Maria Kolesnikova made a courageous act that did not allow the Belarusian special services to expel her to the territory of Ukraine," he said.
"All responsibility for her life and health is on Alexander Lukashenko, the dictator of Belarus."
Soon after the border incident, Mr Lukashenko told Russian reporters that he would not rule out holding new elections, but rejected any talks with opponents who he said were bent on steering the country towards disaster.
Police detained dozens of people from among hundreds who protested on Tuesday evening against Ms Kolesnikova's disappearance.
Masked police dragged some of the protesters away from the crowd, including some women who they pulled by their hair, a witness said.
Fellow opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is in exile in neighbouring Lithuania, called for Ms Kolesnikova to be released, telling Reuters that her detention would only inflame the anti-government protests.
Viktoria Tsepkalo, presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, and Maria Kolesnikova, have united together to challenge Mr Lukashenko's presidency. Source: Natalia Fedosenko/TASS/Sipa USA
Ms Kolesnikova's whereabouts were unclear.
"Kolesnikova has now been detained, I can't say concretely where she is, but she has been detained," Anton Bychkovsky, a representative of the Belarusian border service, told Reuters by phone.
"She was detained in connection with the circumstances under which they (the group) left the territory of Belarus," he said.
