The ”unbendable” talking about sanctions again

The dictator said that he could be “buried”.

Aliaksandar Lukashenka said that the European Union has realized how pointless the sanction policy is, and that he was ready to discuss any problems with the EU, but with no preliminary terms.

“They must have realized that the sanctions lead nowhere, have no future. They must have seen that they need Belarus,” A.Lukashenka told journalists on Thursday during his visit to Mahiliou region, Interfax reports.

“If only the Europeans saw that the sanctions work, and that they can bend us as they please – do you think they would withdraw them? Never. They would press us, put us on our knees and then burry us in the ground up to the knees or even deeper,” A.Lukashenka said.

He is convinced that the West realizes how crucial the cooperation with Belarus is, both in the economic sphere and in terms of prevention of illegal migration. In particular, A.Lukashenka recalled the recent decision “to relocate parts of border security forces from the western to the southern borders (with Ukraine – Interfax).” The leader pointed out that presently “we mainly guard the concerns of Belarus, work more with the flows to Belarus.” “Our neighbors (the EU – Interfax) asked us: help, you have basically opened the border. But we don’t have the money. Yes, I can increase the number of border security forces, border patrols (on the western border – Interfax), but be kind, pay,” A.Lukashenka said. According to him, “this shows that Belarus is important to them.” “As soon as we have let go of the control a little bit (control of the people leaving Belarus – Interfax), they have got a flood of illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Asia,” Lukashenka pointed out.

A.Lukashenka also mentioned possible significant economic losses of the EU in case the sanctions are intensified and the cooperation with Belarus is stopped. “I’m not talking about the big losses of Baltic harbors. I make no secret of the negotiations that we’re having with Russia about lower railway fees so that we can take some of the load from the harbors. They would be happy to see millions of tons of our goods,” A.Lukashenka said.

Moreover, he added that “we have agreed with Ukraine upon increased shipments via southern harbors.” “If the European Union doesn’t need us, then we’ll look for other partners,” the leader emphasized.

At the same time, A.Lukashenka remarked: ”If the European Union is ready to talk, with no preliminary terms, no attempts to bend us to the right or left, then we are ready to get back to any discussion. But we will respond to pressure,” the dictator said.