Terrorist attacks in Russia helped Lukashenko
deal with the opposition
The Belarusian president cannot be denied the ability to take advantage of all Russia's difficulties. Ukraine is stealing Russian gas flowing to the West - Minsk proposes to lay a bypass gas pipeline through its territory and receives a powerful lever of pressure on Moscow. There is a wave of terrorism in Russia - Lukashenko is cracking down on the opposition.

At the opening ceremony of the first stage of the Belarusian section of the Yamal-Western Europe gas pipeline, held near Slonim (Western Belarus), both the head of Gazprom Rem Vyakhirev and the Belarusian president talked a lot about the benefits of this project for Russia and Belarus.
Alexander Grigorievich spoke completely sincerely. Its benefits are most obvious. When Moscow got tired of constant scandals over Ukraine’s “unauthorized consumption” of gas flowing through this country to the West, Minsk immediately offered its territory for the construction of a bypass gas pipeline. Moscow, in order to punish Kyiv for being too close of friendship with the West, agreed. The transit of Russian gas through the territory of Belarus will give Minsk the opportunity not only to receive foreign exchange earnings and repay debts to Russia. For Lukashenko, this is an opportunity to actively influence Moscow. The “gas key” in the hands of the Belarusian father is a powerful argument in disputes with the Kremlin: both on the issue of unification and regarding the legal situation in Belarus.
The disappearance of Belarusian opposition leader Viktor Gonchar in Minsk occurred literally on the eve of the celebrations near Slonim. The Belarusian regime knows how to wait and acts with certainty. Until recently, official Minsk even cooperated with the opposition - under the auspices of the OSCE, negotiations were held with it on a way out of the constitutional crisis. Now there is no need to stand on ceremony with the oppositionists. In addition, the situation in Russia provides a reason to “tighten the screws” and put an end to the internal enemy.
The moment is very convenient: the Belarusian president is serious about “stop playing at democracy.” The other day he held a meeting of “security officials” in connection with the events in Russia and gave the command to “close the borders so that a mouse does not slip through.”
However, Lukashenko is not threatened by any terrorists from abroad. He has already stated that “we have enough of our own so-called oppositionists.” Now is the time to deal with them. Alexander Grigorievich calls this action “restoring order.” Rallies are prohibited. Particular attention goes to the opposition media, they are a “destabilizing factor” for the Belarusian authorities. The first results of the campaign to bring democracy are already in place: yesterday the opposition newspaper Novyny was closed.
The Belarusian opposition can hardly count on serious support from the West. It looks like they have come to terms with the state of things. Even the United States recently returned to Minsk an ambassador who was recalled a year ago, deciding to act “based on the current situation.” One of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition, Semyon Sharetsky, recently complained that the international community is “insufficiently principled” in responding to flagrant violations of the principles of democracy and human rights in Belarus.

YURIY-CHUBCHENKO

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 173 dated September 23, 1999, p. 4