“Belarus gets isolated, Moscow runs out of patience, merger with Russia looks doubtful,” – writes the Swiss newspaper “Neue Zuercher Zeitung”. According to the periodical’s correspondent for Eastern Europe Ulrich Schmitt, who lately paid visit to both Belarus and Russia, the Belarusian leader spoiled relations not only with the West. If the Russian-Belarusian unification ever takes place, it will surely happen after a Moscow-imposed scenario, claims the journalist.
Anatoly Gnebka is a former Soviet Army officer, having 20 years of experience in the communist party as he has fought for and believed in the happy communist future all of his life. Today he heads the Vitebsk affiliate of the social-democratic party and decisively struggles against the regime of Lukashenko. He charges the Belarusian ruler over the pressure exertion on independent media, harassment of opposition and violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of the Belarusian citizens.
Gnebka is especially indignant over Lukashenko’s speeches in support of the social protection of the weak and poor. According to the retired officer, the man is personally responsible for the misery, in which the country currently dwells. However, this demagogy enabled the incumbent to win numerous supporters, who recall the past times with certain nostalgia.
As concerns Anatoly Gnebka himself, he doesn’t call into question the rightness of the ideological choice he made. “We need market economy, democracy and the rule of law,” – said he aloud in his apartment in central Vitebsk.
After Putin came in place of Eltsin, the new chief of Kremlin clearly outlined Russia’s positions and relations between Minsk and Moscow became extremely tense. Observers don’t rule out a possibility of a trade war unleashed between the two, adding that it is Lukashenko who will be first to put an end to all integration ideas, being solely preoccupied with the preservation of his personal power.
As written by “Neue Zuercher Zeitung”, the present-day Belarus – poor, beleaguered country with no nuclear arsenal, but with merciful enemies in the West and merciless friends in the East – is indeed in the dire straits. Being in self-isolation, the official Minsk has nowhere else to do, as to curse other countries, most of which have no ambitions concerning Belarus.
Once EU is trying to make some remarks to the Belarusian regime, the latter threatens to stop controlling the western border, thus allowing dozens of thousands refugees from Middle Asia and Afghanistan to penetrate deep into the continent. Brussels must be pretty aware of the reality of these scares. How else can one interpret Belarus’ renewed participation in the Parliamentary Assembly’s meetings? However, there are no concrete political reforms on part of Minsk, summarizes “Neue Zuercher Zeitung”.
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