Zmitser Bandarenka: “Lukashenka under attempts to squeeze him by every possible means”

Coordinator of Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka estimated statements of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in an interview to Belarusian journalists.

“This is an element of trade between leadership of Russia and Belarus. We have already seen something like this when, for example, representatives of the Belarusian opposition gathered in Moscow on an initiative of Karaganov’s foundation. People said: look, Moscow is gathering Belarusian oppositionists! But even talks with Russian experts proved (and we understood that) that it was only an attempt to trade. This case is not an exception. The Kremlin is obviously press on Lukashenka having interest in most appetizing pieces of the Belarusian economy. Other concessions are possible. We can see only the upper part of an iceberg,” Zmitser Bandarenka said in an interview to Radio Svaboda.

To a question whether Russia will stop such promotional events if Lukashenka changes his position and becomes more loyal towards the Kremlin, the politician said:

“It will certainly happen. Lukashenka has to make concessions to Russia, he resists in something, but he is under constant pressure. If throw away all the tinsel, Lukashenka has receded from his positions for the last year. It concerns the war games, the Customs Union and further intention to join the World Trade Organization, Russian military bases and joint air defence system. He is under attempts to squeeze him now. Medvedev and Putin are flexible politicians keeping up with the times, they always look for new forms. This is the difference between the collective farm director and graduates of Leningrad University,” Bandarenka thinks.