Andrei Sannikov: Lukashenka must respond to the declarations of the Russian Ambassador :: Charter'97 :: News

Russian Ambassador to Minsk Alexander Surikov declared on Monday about the likely deployment of the Russian military facilities related to nuclear weapons in Belarus in return to the deployment of the US antimissile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic. The possible outcomes of such declaration are discussed by the Radio Svaboda commentator Vital Tsygankou and the international coordinator of the Charter’97, former deputy foreign minister of Belarus Andrei Sannikov

Tsygankou: It is rather a strange situation: the ambassador makes declarations about the possibility of deployment of military facilities related to nuclear weapons on its territory without consulting the top officials of the country where he has been accredited to. What can it mean?

Sannikov: First of all, I guess that the ambassador has to coordinate his speeches especially on such serious issues as the nuclear security .Secondly, the declaration is rather provoking. It is obvious to all of us what is happening in such nuclear states as Russia and the USA and for us it is very dangerous when Belarus is made involved in such games.

Tsygankou: Is it possible that the declaration was made by Surikov impromptu? For instance, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomirdin makes impromptu speeches .Maybe Surikov also lost control over his thoughts. Is he a man who dares speak without consulting the authorities?

Sannikov: That can be very easily determined. We have to wait for the Russian foreign ministry’s response, if any. If there is no response then the declaration was not impromptu but it was a coordinated standpoint.

Tsygankou: Can that be considered as a well-planned blow against Lukashenka? As for me, the Russian Ambassador by his declaration forces the Belarusian ruler into an awkward posture, say, you have spoken so much about the military integration with Russia about the readiness of Belarusians to throw themselves under the supposed tanks to block their way to Russia from the west. So, here you are, prove indeed your loyalty to the integration with Russia.

Sannikov: On the one hand it may be loyalty but on the other and more important hand it is the potential breeching of all international agreement signed by Belarus in this sphere. I mean the resolution under which Belarus turned down the possibility of nuclear weapons deployment on its territory.

Thus the situation turns to be rather aggravated for the Belarusian authorities. Because they have to respond to such declarations which are made neglecting the state sovereignty.

Tsygankou: And what response do you expect form Lukashenka? Will he try to make Surikov’s words sound milder or will his response be tough?

Sannikov: I am not going to make forecasts. But I want to repeat that the state’s highest official who is responsible for the state independence and sovereignty has to respond.

It was already in 1993 that the Republic of Belarus joined the treaty on the nuclear arms non-proliferation as the non-nuclear power and in 1996 withdrew all the nuclear weapons from its territory.