Broke the chain

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko accused Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of impeding military cooperation between countries, putting pressure on Minsk and disrupting integration processes in the Union State, Kommersant writes on October 5. Lukashenko made a filipika against Putin on October 2 at a meeting with representatives of Russian regional media, but at first these accusations did not make it into the news. However, on the same day in the evening, the newspaper reports, everything was broadcast as is on Belarusian television. According to the Belarusian leader, it all started with the gas conflict in the winter of 2004, when Russia increased gas prices and stopped gas supplies for Belarus’ refusal to sign the agreement and delay in paying the debt. The newspaper recalls that just then Lukashenko also allowed himself extremely harsh statements addressed to the then president of Russia, whom he accused of terrorism at the highest level: “Putin wants us to pay this money, let’s collect it from the medicines of Chernobyl victims, from those who rotted in the trenches. Let’s collect it, and they will stop manipulating and blackmailing us.” Now Lukashenko said that Putin in 2004 first told him “don’t worry, we’ll figure it out,” but then there was a telephone conversation in a raised voice, Putin argued that Russia was forced to take tough measures, and Lukashenko convinced him that “this scar will come later.” you won’t heal,” and finally hung up. Today Lukashenko accuses Putin of a gas conspiracy. When Belarus cut off Russian gas supplies to Europe through its territory in 2004, Putin, according to Lukashenko, called him with an apology, and he eventually retreated: “All channels to the West were open, and he (Putin - “Hedgehog”) opened bolt to Belarus." However, according to the Belarusian president, the troubles did not end there. In the fall of 2007, Putin refused to come to joint exercises, which in the eyes of Lukashenko is evidence of the undermining of military cooperation between the countries. Further, Putin is preventing the supply of “cheap and high-quality Belarusian food to Russia,” and even accuses Belarus of dumping, as a result of which “Russian farmers suffer losses.” Lukashenko claims that Belarus has nothing to do with it: “In Russia, middlemen raise prices, you need to deal with them, achieve a reduction in prices for Russian products, and not raise prices for Belarusian ones.” Kommersant cites the opinion of Belarusian analyst Viktor Martinovich, who believes that by blaming Moscow, Lukashenko is trying to justify the delay in recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the general tilt towards the West. Martinovich believes that all these attempts may backfire: the price of gas and oil for Belarus may rise. Meanwhile, on October 5, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said that Russia would not give Belarus the final tranche of $500 million. Lukashenko previously stated that these same 500 million are the payment for recognizing the independence of the republics.