Lukashenka, Putin And Charter

It’s an important lesson for Ukraine as well.

Twenty years after the supporters of the Belarusian democracy signed the Charter 97 document, Minsk decided to block the same-name site, which is the most popular opposition resource in Belarus.

This decision demonstrates the boundaries of Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s compromises with the civilized world. The Belarusian ruler can tip hat to the West in order to facilitate the sanction regime for himself and his entourage, but he still remains a small Putin. And what's more, Putin is a big Lukashenka. After all, Lukashenka started to create his authoritarian regime, when Putin was just carrying suitcases for St. Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak.

Charter 97 is not just a resource that tells the Belarusians the truth about their country. It is also a resource that tells the truth about Ukraine – the Ukraine of the times of Maidan, the Ukraine at war with Russia. That is why the resource’s enemies could be both in Minsk and in Moscow. As Charter 97 is one of the few windows to the world of real life and true values for the Belarusians, who are captives of the Russian and their "native" Lukashenka’s propaganda. And why should we be surprised that Aliaksandr Lukashenka has closed this window?

It’s an important lesson for Ukraine as well. For many years, we have been trying to build relations with Minsk, trying not to notice Lukashenka's dependence on the Kremlin. And it is not just his monetary dependence. This is also the dependence of the value level. Lukashenka and Putin talk the same language – the language of authoritarianism, and they respect power and lies. That is why Lukashenka can come to Kiev and talk about his respect for the Ukrainian sovereignty, and then, Russians kidnap a Ukrainian guy in the territory of his country. Nothing against you personally – just the dependence on Moscow.

And blocking Charter is his dependence on lies. It is very important for the Belarusian ruler to keep his society in the post-Soviet anabiosis, since his power is able to flow only from this anabiosis. However, the fact that the oppositionists have been dealt away with now, speaks about the Belarusian leadership’s concerns about the sentiments of their fellow citizens. It is interesting that Charter was banned exactly on the anniversary of Lukashenka's signing the famous "law on parasites", which led to the most massive protests in the country.

Vitaly Portnikov, the Ukrainian Service of Radio Svaboda