Poland’s Foreign Ministry: Lukashenka stays in power only thanks to Putin and Russia
In a short interview with Belsat TV, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz expressed hope that Russia would reshape its policy towards Belarus.
“Alyaksandr Lukashenka keeps staying in power outright thanks to the support provided by Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation, i.e. political, military, financial, economic support, the assistance in the fields of special services and mass media. But this support is not directed at ordinary Belarusians. Ordinary Belarusians’ situation is getting worse under this repressive policy. The economic situation is deteriorating. And it is Alyaksandr Lukashenka who is to blame for that, as well as those who back him. And the Russian Federation is among his supporters,” the deputy minister stressed.
According to Marcin Przydacz, the EU and NATO are currently discussing how to discourage the Russain leader from standing by Lukashenka.
In his opinion, if Russia wants to preserve Belarusians’ liking for itself as a state, it should not turn its back to everyday Belarusian citizens who clearly made their choice in the course of last year’s elections and rallies of many thousands.
‘We are not going to change our course’
Speaking about the current developments in Belarus, the Polish diplomat said that the EU sanctions ‘are not a goal in themselves’, they are supposed to be a tool leading to Belarus’ taking a critical look at the price the country is paying for keeping people in prisons, beating and repressing them.
Unfortunately, Minsk is in tune for further escalating the situation, Przydacz noted.
“The question is what will happen to them next? Now we see groups of migrants roaming in the cities of Belarus. They have not been taken [to Belarus] by Poland. They have been taken by Alyaksandr Lukashenka who is creating another problem in Belarus for his own political satisfaction. Probably, he is inviting those groups whose only desire is to get to the West for his own economic benefit. It is highly likely that their [migrants’] frustration during their stay in Belarus will grow. But we – Poland and the European Union – are not going to change our course, we will be defending our borders,” the deputy minister said.
He emphasized that Lukashenka would be responsible for all the consequences that the shady scheme might have.
At the same time, Marcin Przydacz does not rule out that Minsk has started to realize that migrants will have to remain near the border on the Belarusian side. In accordance with his information, there are also signals that some migrants are moving in the direction of Russia, which could cause the Kremlin’s outrage. It is not implausible that the current situation has made the Belarusian authorities face the need of limiting the number of migrants, the top official concluded.
Belsat.eu
