Referring to an anonymous source Mustafa Nayyem, a renowned Ukrainian journalist, has gone into detail about Yanukovych Jr’s telephone talk with Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
‘Viktor Yanukovych seems to have lost his faith in Putin. According to unconfirmed data, the Yanukovych family is seeking asylum in Belarus,’ Mustafa Nayyem said on his Facebook.
Last week Viktor Yanukovych Jr had a telephone talk with the Belarusian leader, Mr Nayyem states. The son expressed fear that his father might become a coin to exchange between Kyiv and Moscow. In particular, there is every likelihood that the ousted president will be delivered to Ukraine authorities, Mr Yanukovych Jr suggested. In response, Aliaksandr Lukashenka made it clear that the former Ukrainian leader should have returned to his country. In case Yanukovych decides to move to Belarus the Belarusian leader is reportedly ready to grant asylum to him and his family.
According to Viktor Yanukovych Jr, his father might become a head of a new state, Novorossiya (‘New Russia’), which will comprise Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Mr Nayyem says. ‘I repeat, I have had only one source, but it is trustworthy enough to make such information public,’ he stressed.
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Ukraine put Mr Yanukovych on the international wanted list, but Russia shows no intention to deliver the escapee.
It is to be recalled that former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev who was charged in absentia with slaughter in his home country arrived in Belarus on personal invitation of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Kyrgyzstan authorities repeatedly filed a request for Bakiev’s extradition to the Prosecutor General’s Office but were denied. According to unconfirmed reports, Kurmanbek Bakiyev was granted Belarusian citizenship in 2010.
