Conflict with Russia as a way of obtaining credits

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed a number of laws on ratification of agreements in the framework of the Customs Union, despite of the “oil war” with Russia.

Among the documents signed by the Belarusian ruler, laws on ratification of the agreement on terms and mechanisms of customs quotas, protocols on grating tariff preferences, on terms and order of customs dues rates different from the Single customs tariff rates in exceptional cases and others.

We remind that earlier Minsk stated that it finds participation of Belarus in the Customs union pointless in case Russian customs dues for oil are preserved for the country.

“This entire conflict is an act put on by Lukashenka,” Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” said in an interview to charter97.org website. “Back in the last year he found a rather effective scheme of defrauding loans from the West and continues to use it. Last year has finished, loans have disappeared, and now he needs new ones. And he needs to imitate a conflict with Russia for that end, which would allow European lobbyists of Lukashenka to say that he needs support”.

The politician reminded that last year Lukashenka and his entourage said many harsh words about Russia.

“However, let us see what we have in the result: formation of the single anti-missile system with Russia has been finished, agreement on the collective operational reaction forces has been signed, the largest military drills at the territory of Belarus aimed against the European Union has been held, the forgotten Customs Union, the basis of the Eurasian integration and restoration of the Soviet Union, has been revived. We observe denial to any most favourable conditions of Europe and stepping up the policy of repressions against the civil society and opposition in Belarus.

These are facts, and not allegation we have heard both from the Belarusian side and the European side. However some European officials prefer to ignore these facts, thus helping Lukashenka to sell the performance of the conflict with Russia and receive dividends in the West. This does not mean that there are no contradictions between the regimes of Russia and Belarus, they really exist; but in this case repetition of oil and gas conflicts with Belarus and Ukraine aren’t in interest of Russia at all. They also need credits and investments from the West, and it is not in their interest to demonstrate unreliability and unpredictability,” Sannikov is convinced.

At the same time, “European Belarus” leader notes, Russia has also received its benefits from this conflict in the form of growth of world prices for oil.

“Having received it, the Russian leadership immediately ordered to extinguish this conflict. For some time Lukashenka is to continue to demonstrate his bellicosity, however as soon as a possibility to receive new loans in the West opens, he is to calm down. However I think that Lukashenka will consistently fulfil all the demands of Russia, both on privatization and on relations with the West,” Andrei Sannikov said.