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I used to have a lot of sympathy for Lukashenko to defy the Ukases and blackmail of the West but now it seems to me he has lost it. He is clearly lacking courage here, and the way he entered the Russian customs union with seeming lack of enthusiasm doesn't speak much for his leadership abilities.
Bielorussia anyway is indisputably a 98% Russian republic, I don't understand why in the first place it is not part of the Federation of Russia.
Well, maybe it seems like that from outside. But in fact anti-Russian sentiments are pretty strong in Belarus, especially among the educated elite. Rather many people, especially young, openly hate Russia, to be honest. At least in Minsk and (I suppose) in the Western part of the country. (However, there are many who are pro-Russian, too)
As for Lukashenko, he has to partly follow Russian rules of the game because it is actually Russia that helps him to stay in power. Belarusian economy is weak, not really sustainable and would collapse without Russian aid. And any economic crisis undermines his position.
But even under these circumstances, Lukashenko, smart a** as he is, tries to plays his own game and somehow fool Putin which he did in the past... His goal is to get as much money as possible from Russia and at the same time not to spoil the relationships with other countries (granted, his relationships with the West have always been tense, but there were also ups and down there, and recently there were some signs of improvement...).
That's why he mostly keeps silent about Ukraine, or at least doesn't make his position clear. Deep inside, he'd probably prefer Crimea to be a part of Belarus)
Last week he kind of joked -- "give us Ukraine and we'll secure stability, unity and integrity" there.
you keep, brothers)
It was more difficult to us to make the Maidan because we were the first)
It will be easier for you)
And if it is serious: You would support Belarussiya's eurointegration?
I always considered Belarus as the authoritative country, but an authoritativeness source - one Lukashenko. But other people aren't always happy, isn't present?
Ukraine; a failed state, two revolutions in ten years, and an economy all but bankrupt. Ukraine will be an IMF slave for decades to come, with a poor economy, and with workers in E. Ukraine becoming even poorer because of the job losses coming with the EU deal.
I do not blame Crimea for wanting to join Russia; Russia has a better economy and a better quality of life. People keep thinking this is an ethnic issue, it is not, it is an economic one; who wants to tag along with a bankrupted country?
Many ethnic Ukrainians voted for Yanukovich in the 2010 elections, so it is hardly an ethnic issue, Ukrainians are not stupid, single issue voters, they have families to feed and life to live. They look at economics as well. To think all Ukrainians and other groups will just happen to go along with the new gov "because they are anti-Russian" is ridiculous. The new gov has not even proven it speaks for all Ukrainians since there has not been a vote, yet the new gov is taking actions in a grand assumption it has the backing of Ukrainians.
Marmel has differrent opinion, he wants his country to be independent and I think we must respect it.
That's true. I want to see my country on the map, as simple as that. I wanna live in a capital city, cheer for Belarus national team in sports etc.
And now some Belarusians really have fears that we may be the next.
I don't think that it's possible anytime soon, though. I guess for Putin it's enough -- so far enough -- to have Belarus within his sphere of influence, not within Russia's borders.
you keep, brothers)
It was more difficult to us to make the Maidan because we were the first)
It will be easier for you)
And if it is serious: You would support Belarussiya's eurointegration?
I always considered Belarus as the authoritative country, but an authoritativeness source - one Lukashenko. But other people aren't always happy, isn't present?
It's harder to make a Maidan here as we Belarusians are not so hot-tempered as Ukranians. Our people are more quiet by nature, more phlegmatic maybe. And more patient, there are even funny jokes about that.
I'm in two minds about European integration to be honest. On the one hand, it looks attractive -- modern technologies, visa-free travel etc. On the other hand I am not sure that we will be better off economically. Let's face the truth: the West doesn't really care about Belarus, doesn't know much about us and is simply not interested. And they won't give us as much money as Russia.
We already have sanctions of Europe and the USA against the Russian officials today. We already have a list of "victims" - 18 people. Their accounts in banks are blocked.
It is very interesting to me that will be now...
Maybe mister Putin compensates them these losses from the money? And how many years it can do will last?
Korea suffers from sanctions more than 50 years... and Russia is ready to repeat its destiny?
It's harder to make a Maidan here as we Belarusians are not so hot-tempered as Ukranians. Our people are more quiet by nature, more phlegmatic maybe. And more patient, there are even funny jokes about that.
I'm in two minds about European integration to be honest. On the one hand, it looks attractive -- modern technologies, visa-free travel etc. On the other hand I am not sure that we will be better off economically. Let's face the truth: the West doesn't really care about Belarus, doesn't know much about us and is simply not interested. And they won't give us as much money as Russia.
yes. You have very close and long connection with economy of Russia, we know it.
But the main thing is Lukashenko.
I can be mistaken now certainly, but it seems to me that disintegration of the Slavic world began with the Maidan of Ukraine.
And now it will concern all Slavs anyway. This redistribution of spheres of influence will be possible, and Belarus hardly can remain "neutral" as now it is done by Lukashenko. Probably time will induce it to do 100% a choice.
What I find odd is that the Ukrainian minority here in Finland has been very vocal during the whole crisis. The Russian minority which is much larger has been completely silent.
I guess they're ashamed.
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