Zmitser Bandarenka: Lukashenka crosses red line in relations with Russia

The Belarusian dictator will look for money in the West.

Zmitser Bandarenka, the coordinator of the civil campaign European Belarus, spoke to charter97.org about the arrest of Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner in Minsk.

“Top managers of Uralkali have faced what Belarusian businessmen and Belarusian opposition activists constantly face – brutality and mental inadequacy of the Belarusian ruler.

Uralkali's actions in fact mean a deathblow to Lukashenka. The dictator always behaves like that if he sees a real threat to his power. After selling Beltransgaz company and losing an opportunity to earn on the exports of oil products from cheap Russian oil, Belaruskali was the dictator's last favourite toy and lifebuoy,” Bandarenka said.

Lukashenka takes revenge in such situations, the politician thinks.

“For example, three opposition leaders were killed and several other candidates for presidency were jailed in Belarus.

He was not less brutal with directors of Belarus's leading enterprises. By the way, the Russian manager was arrested in the same way as 2010 presidential candidates were arrested: invitation to talks with the authorities and you then see your hands in handcuffs.

As a character in a movie said 'He is a psycho but not a fool'. My forecast is that Baumgertner will not remain in Belarusian jail for a long time. Uralkali is one of Russia's biggest monopolies. Its managers cannot take independent decisions without consulting with the Kremlin. Lukashenka urgently needs money, so he makes such an aggressive step in relation to Russia demonstrating his independence and hoping to find money in the West, in particular in the IMF. It seems that the Belarusian ruler crossed the red line in relations with Russia,” the coordinator of European Belarus campaign thinks.