Andrei Suzdaltsev: Russian loan will not save Belarus from currency devaluation

2 billion dollars will be spent on food and very fast.

Such an opinion came from a political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev as he commented for the charter97.org web-site on Putin’s provision of a loan for Minsk.

“Lukashenka deems this a victory, because the $2 billion loan now partly resolves the problem of devaluation. But it will still happen and will most likely be combined with denomination. It will take place in January or right after the Ice Hockey World Championship”, - the expert believes.

The political scientist noted that the reasons for providing the loan were simple.

“”First, Ukraine helped a lot. The $15 billion, which are in fact 17.5 considering the gas discount, that Kiev received created a background saying that if such a support went to Ukraine, which is not a part either of the Customs Union, or the Union State, what is there to say about the “only true ally”, which also need to be fed. Second reason is the craze of the Russian leadership which is the Customs Union. In that Lukashenka pressed on the fact that there was an actual financial disaster in the country, and if Belarus’ economic collapse started, this would affect the image of the whole CU. This is a sort of blackmail. Third reason is that on 24 October at the session of Higher Eurasian Economic Council Lukashenka and Nazarbaev accused Putin of scarcely supporting their two countries, but now Lukashenka left Nazarbaev alone with that, because the latter received nothing. Yesterday at a meeting in Kremlin Lukashenka like an exemplary ally agreed literally with everything. Had he been told to catch the Moon in a net, he would have agreed. So he was assisted with money”, - Andrei Suzdaltsev highlighted.

The political scientist added that Moscow at the same time realized that Lukashenka and convertible currency are incompatible.

“As soon as he gets money, he immediately starts building palaces or hide it somewhere, hence he is not a manager. That is why this time too the money will be spent on food and very fast”, - the expert is convinced.

We would remind that yesterday at a session of the State Council of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin promised to provide Belarus with a loan of 2 billion dollars.

“The government of the Russian Federation made a decision to provide assistance to our colleagues due to what is taking place in world’s markets and provide the Republic of Belarus with additional borrowed funds in 2014 in the amount of up to 2 billion dollars”, - he claimed.