The dispute regarding the format of the Union of Russia and Belarus continues

Markus Wehner - Marcus Venus, 02 July 2002

The closer the cooperation between Washington and Moscow, the more constrained Lukashenko finds himself, the less chance he has to resist the creation of the union according to the model that Moscow wants. Apparently, the idea of independent, democratic Belarus, in the spirit of which the creation of the state took place in 1991, went into oblivion.

Vladimir Putin in the eyes of the West does almost everything correctly. Recently, he even first criticized the Belarusian president, who has been playing the role of a dictator in a neighboring country for more than one year and finds himself up to the opposition to the annoyance of Washington and Europeans, suppresses the free press and is disgusted with the diplomats from the security and cooperation organization in Europe (OSCE) in Minsk.

The head of the Kremlin, however, scolded Lukashenko not for insufficient respect for democracy and human rights. To a greater extent, we are talking about the planned creation of the Union between Russia and its lesser brother. Putin inherited this idea from his predecessor Boris Yeltsin: he and Lukashenko consecrated the project in 1996 and since then his implementation has been moving with great efforts.

Lukashenko wanted to use the idea of creating a popular union among the people in order to demonstrate his imaginary political genius not only to ten million Belarusians, but also to more than 140 million Russians. During his speeches in the impoverished Russian provinces of the sovereign from Minsk, who, in the best communist traditions of Meta thunder and lightning against the West, met as if it were a coming of a strong man. Yeltsin, on the contrary, who ruined the Soviet Union, not without a feeling of guilt after that, knew that the idea of an alliance with Belarus was popularly popular and wanted to use it for their own purposes.

Last week, Putin during an annual meeting with reporters made it hard to understand that he was regretting the political manner of Old Man from Minsk. If we talk about his taste, the president said, then he is for the creation of a single state, since Belarusians "literally fraternal people." But Russia continued, not ready to deal with its national economic interests in favor of a neighbor, whose economy is only three percent of the Russian economy. What made Putin from himself was apparently Lukashenko’s proposal for his country to have the right of Veto in the joint Supreme Council, thanks to which Minsk could block all Moscow decisions. Putin objected to this that if Belarus wants to remain independent, maintain territorial integrity and have the right to apply a veto, then national parliaments should remain. The union parliament with obscure powers only discredits the idea of unification, said the Russian president. What he brought as a possible example of relations with the Minsk European Union did not bring clarity to his position. However, it was clear that he was regarding Lukashenko, he lost all patience. “Let's stop chewing chewing gum and, finally, say, to each other: we want it or do not want it,” the emotionally tuned president in the direction of Minsk turned.

From there answered the pouted Lukashenko, saying that his country will never be satisfied with the role of the 90th subject of the Russian Federation. From the very appearance of the project to create an union, Moscow, according to him, constantly tried to pull time. He rejected the statement that Belarus was a burden for the Russian economy.

Indeed, Minsk largely depends on the supply of Russian energy and goods that he receives on preferential conditions. In particular, many Russian companies acquired property in Belarus, but immediately realized that Lukashenko was not ready to abandon hard control on their part. This finds a manifestation and as for the planned single monetary policy: the dictator, in particular, wants to have a ruble as a single currency, but he opens up for the emission center in Moscow, which could deprive it of a printing press. For this reason, the fate of the currency union, which was supposed to be created by 2005, remains unknown.

Finally, the old Yeltsin "family" demonstrates in the question of the political union there is also disagreement with Putin and the elite surrounding him. Yeltsin himself recently visited Belarus and, they say, said Lukashenko: "We must continue what we started." The most determined supporters of the Union in Moscow are all, without exception, representatives of the Yeltsin era. Among them is the former treasurer of the Kremlin Pavel Borodin, who was found to be guilty of laundering illegally received money and sentenced to paying a fine. Putin shifted him to the post of secretary of the Union.

At the end of the month, Putin and Lukashenko are going to meet once again. The dictator from Minsk should understand that he should not bend the sticks. The fact is that, in addition to Russia, it is supported only by rogue states: Libya, Syria, Iraq, Cuba and Iran. The Americans suggest that Belarusia put anti -aircraft complexes to such states and Islamic terrorists. The closer the cooperation between Washington and Moscow, the more constrained Lukashenko finds himself, the less chance he has to resist the creation of the union according to the model that Moscow wants. Apparently, the idea of independent, democratic Belarus, in the spirit of which the creation of the state took place in 1991, went into oblivion.

Translation: Tow Vladimir, inosmi.ru
Published on the website inosmi.ru: 02 July 2002, 10:04
Original publication: Putin Ist Die Minsker Spielchen Leid

Putin regrets the party leading Minsk ("Frankfurter AllGemeine Zeitung", Germany)