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Stanislau Shushkevich: The History Gives the Belarusians a Chance Again

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Stanislau Shushkevich: The History Gives the Belarusians a Chance Again
Stanislau Shushkevich
PHOTO BY KP.BY

Belavezha Accords were signed on December 8, 1991.

The treaty signed between Belarus, Ukraine and Russia meant the collapse of the USSR as the "international legal entity and geopolitical reality" and proclaimed the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Stanislau Shushkevich, the first leader of independent Belarus who signed the Belavezha Accords told charter97.org about those events.

- Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Belavezha Accords. You are a direct participant of those events. How do you think it became possible and what was the main reason for the breakdown of the Empire?

- The Soviet Union collapsed after the August coup. I'm sure about that, because states dissolve, as soon as they become uncontrollable. Such collapses are well-known, especially in Europe.

In Viskuli we just recorded the breakdown of the USSR. It means that we were not initiators of its collapse, it happened before, it was uncontrollable then. And we found strength to voice it and sign the documents. We managed to preserve a decent level of unity between the countries.

- Kravchuk, Burbulis and I have recently been to the United States and spoken on the Belavezha Accords and the collapse of the USSR. Is this topic popular and urgent in the USA?

- The most popular topic now is Donald Trump. And it is barely possible to draw parallels between them. We were there when he himself was surprised with his victory and America talked over it.

Whenever and wherever we had meetings (I'm really proud) our lecture hall was filled with people. And it was often a large lecture hall. For example, at Harvard University students had to listen to the lecture in the corridor, there was no free place anymore. There were good questions and good remarks. I think that this topic was treated attentively in the USA.

- You've mentioned the new president of the USA. Some analysts draw parallels between Trump and Reagan, as well as drop in oil prices in the 80s and now, between ground invasion of Afghanistan and Syria... Will the new US policy be tougher in respect to Russia, like it happened in the Reagan times on the eve of the collapse of the USSR?

- First, I am not a hard-liner. The Russian people will be those who face consequences of mistakes of their government. I think the new US president is very skillful person. I guess that it is hard to predict his future actions. I will not dare comment on it. The situation requires time.

I met there many senators, congressmen and they had different points of view. No one is able to say anything specific, even republicans.

- Let's put Trump aside and talk about our region. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has recently voiced that the USSR still exists and is only going to collapse meaning imperial ambition of Putin.

- First of all, the USSR exists in minds. And the President of Ukraine is right. I share his opinion.

- One should remember that more than a half of Russian regrets the breakdown of the USSR...

- It is essential amid a constant propaganda. If to listen to Dmitry Kiselev, it means the direct order to follow the fascist way.

- Will the leadership of Russia with Kiselev as a megaphone manage to restore the Soviet empire?

- The Russian authorities cannot rule the way to provide their citizens with well-being. It's too complex for them to do. But they can easily throw with "they poison us", "bad Americans", "bad Europe", "we must consolidate". Russians may consolidate only when they have an enemy, but such enemy does exist. And there can be consequences, I hope it will not happen.

- Will it be impossible to restore the Empire?

- I think this is impossible, but they try. There is no other way to run. They like to be in power, but fail to secure welfare for their citizens.

- What was the role of the social factor - "failure to secure welfare" - in the collapse of the USSR?

- A great one. Now we still follow the plan economy, and there is nothing good to wait for. Economic indicators are such that they turn back to the times of the collapse of the USSR.

- What was the role of the national factor?

- I still don't feel like it was essential. There are many nation-oriented patriots who promote self-determination of Belarusians, but Russia throws much sand in our wheels.

Let's recall such structures like "Cossacks", the Russian National Unity (RNU), they believe that there is one "great Russian nation".

The main their problem is that they do not care about welfare of their citizens. They will not manage to create anything durable.

- But Belarus differs from that it used to be in 1991. People got tired of dictator Lukashenka. The economic situation is even worse than it was when the collapse of the USSR. A majority of the population wants the European way of development.

- I agree. And we should take our chance provided by the history.

- What is your wish on the Belarusians?

- I wish them to end with the heritage of the Soviet Union that generated fear and deprived of freedom of speech, meetings. The Belarusians still mostly exist in the Soviet Union. I would wish recovery on them.

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