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Lukashenka renews criticism of Russia over lack of Union State progress

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has launched a new verbal attack on the Kremlin over the lack of progress in the establishment of the Union State.

“Russia torpedoes the adoption [of the Union State’s Constitutional Act], does not want to adopt the Constitutional Act,” the Belarusian leader said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency and Russia Today TV channel.

Mr. Lukashenka noted that Moscow was putting pressure on Minsk to adopt the Russian ruble. “What state tools will we have to use this ruble, to protect ourselves if we need to? We don’t know what our role is and in what state union we will introduce this ruble,” he noted, adding that the countries needed to adopt the Constitutional Act before deciding on a common currency.

Mr. Lukashenka reiterated his objections to Belarus ‘ incorporation by Russia. “This will be like Chechnya but in the west,” he stressed. “Why raise the question of Belarus’ incorporation into Russia today? Such a question has never been on the agenda and this must on no condition be done.”

In hard-hitting remarks, Mr. Lukashenka accused Russia of blackmailing Belarus. “We will never give in to this blackmail. We will go to trenches, will die in dugouts but will not give in to this blackmail,” he was quoted as saying.

He noted that Minsk pursued a multi-vector foreign policy. “We have good relations with Russia, we have brilliant relations with Ukraine, we must have normal relations with the European Union – this is our neighbor.”

Mr. Lukashenka denied speculation that the Belarusian government’s recent move to release a few opposition politicians viewed as political prisoners, allow the European Commission to open its office in Minsk and invite OSCE observers to this year’s parliamentary elections indicated a foreign policy shift toward the West. “This is not worth a curse – the five or six people convicted under the Criminal Code whose prison terms are soon to expire. Well, they want to support their people whom they financed, fed – well done! They don’t fail their people in their need. We can take this step to normalize relations with Europe,” he noted. //BelaPAN