Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko comments on Belarus-Ukraine relations

MINSK, 16 November (BelTA) – It is important that Belarus and Ukraine preserve good neighborly and friendly relations, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview with Belarusian and foreign political observers on 13 November, BelTA has learned.

The question of an Ukrainian journalist was about the impact of the sanctions that the administration of the Ukrainian president imposed on Belarus, following suit of the European Union, on the relations between the two countries.
 
“Every action of your president, Zelensky, is all about pleasing the European Union and the United States. If they had not imposed sanctions on us, Volodya Zelensky would not either. They did, gave him the instructions, which he most willingly implemented. This is disgraceful. It is humiliation of the Ukrainian people, at the very least,” the Belarusian head of state said.

“It is unfair to impose sanctions against Belarus, which has always, even to its detriment, taken a pro-Ukrainian position. Against Lukashenko, whose great-grandfathers' roots lie somewhere between Kiev and Chernigov. I am a pro-Ukrainian man in general, and you impose sanctions against me!” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko dismissed the sanctions as nonsense. After all, they are imposed at a time when Belarus, despite reproaches from Russia, leaves its borders with Ukraine open for the supply of goods that may later enter the Russian market. “Wake up! If we close the border for Ukrainian goods, you will not be able to either supply products to our market or process Ukrainian products in Belarus in order to supply them to other markets, first of all to the Eurasian market,” the president warned the Ukrainian side.

The head of state does not understand why some Ukrainian media present a distorted picture of what is happening in Belarus. “You distort the events in Belarus even more than the West and the United States do. Why do you need to do so? We have always sympathized with you, all the Maidans and so on. You decide to ruin the relations. Why? After all, Lukashenkos and Zelenskys come and go, but the people stay. Why ruin these relations? You should not view us as enemy. We will not give you such a chance. The Ukrainians are a kindred nation,” the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state was also asked about the current relations with Vladimir Zelensky, who had publicly stated that he would stop addressing Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko as President. “Volodya Zelensky should worry of being called Zelensky and not the President himself. In my opinion, everything is leading to this. At the start his approval rating was more than 70%. Not it collapsed to 20-28-30% (according to different polls). How is it possible to lose people’s confidence in a year and a half? I would say that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones,” the Belarusian head of state said.

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