Russian Federation Council Vice Speaker: Lukashenka may follow the fate of Mubarak

The Federation Council of Russia does not rule out further deterioration of the situation in Belarus.

“If Lukashenka does not change his position and does not understand he should stop making populist statements and start developing market economy and market relations, the forecast for him can be very bad,” vice speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper house, Svetlana Orlova, told Interfax on the situation in Belarus.

In her opinion, whatever powerful the Belarusian state propaganda machine is, “none military condition will save Lukashenka” when people have nothing to eat and their salaries are too small to buy goods. “His fate may be sad, too. Let’s recall what happened to Mubarak in Egypt,” she said.

Belarus will move to stagnation and bankruptcy without outside financing (loans) and income from privatization and investments, she thinks. “However many credits will Russia give Belarus, they will not solve all problems, because all loans settle only current issues, but cannot help with strategic long-term aims,” the senator said.

Orlova underlined that no one gives loans for free. “The Russian side has all grounds to raise a question on granting loans in exchange for privatization of Belarusian enterprises,” Orlova said.

She said Lukashenka’s remarks about the Russian media were unacceptable. “On the one hand, LUkasheka is asking Russia for loans, but on the other hand he says access to Belarus will be closed for Russian media. If you do not agree with something, go to court. These are generally accepted norms of international law,” the vice speaker said.