Putin Regrets Minsk Game :: Charter'97 :: News

Vladimir Putin is doing everything right in the eyes of the West. Recently he publicly criticized for the first time the Belarusian president, who’s been playacting as dictator in the neighboring country and, despite Washington and Europe’s protests, persecutes opposition, annihilates free press and feels disgust towards the diplomats from the OSCE mission in Minsk.

The head of Kremlin rebuked Lukashenko over his disregard for democracy and human rights. For the most part, he meant the planned formation of the union state between Russia and her younger brother. The idea was inherited by Putin from his predecessor Boris Eltsin: Lukashenko and Eltsin launched the project back in 1996 and since then have been promoting it quite successfully.

Lukashenko sought to use the idea of setting up popular union in order to demonstrate his ostensible political genius not only to 10 million Belarusians but also to more than 140 million Russians. During his speeches in impoverished Russian provinces, the Belarusian leader, who in best communist style condemned the West, was welcomed as the most influential person. Eltsin, who is blamed for the USSR collapse, knew from his sense of guilt that the idea of creating the union with Belarus is popular with the nation and can, thus, be used for one’s personal benefit.

Last week during Putin’s annual meeting with press he manifested his regret over Lukashenko’s political conduct. Speaking of himself, Putin said that he is for the formation of a single state, as far as Belarusians are “indeed a brotherly nation”. But Russia, he added, can’t give up her national economic interests for the good of the neighbor, whose economy constitutes 3% of the Russian. What made Putin mad was possibly Lukashenko’s proposal to have veto right, which would enable Minsk to veto out all Moscow’s decisions. Putin countered that if Belarus wills to be independent, preserve territorial integrity and enjoy veto right, then they must leave the national parliaments. The union parliament with unclear functions only discredits the unification idea, noted the Russian incumbent. It was clear that Putin ran out of patience towards Lukashenko: “Let’s stop the gum-chewing and confess to each other whether or not we want this to happen,” – said the emotional Russian president to the official Minsk.

Offended Lukashenko replied in response that his country would never agree to turn into the 90th constituency of Russia. From the very beginning, he added, Moscow sought to win time over the issue. Lukashenko refuted allegations that Belarus is a burden for Russian economy.

In late July Putin and Lukashenko plan to re-meet again. Minsk dictator must be told that he should not go too far in his aspirations. The snag is, apart from Russia he is upheld only by the rogue states: Libya, Syria, Iraq, Cuba and Iran. Americans believe that Belarus had provided these outcasts with the anti-aircraft complexes. The stronger cooperation between Washington and Moscow, the more troublesome is Lukashenko’s position.