Putin announces significant loan to Belarus in meeting with Lukashenko / Article / LSM.lv

In a meeting with Lukashenko, Putin announces a significant loan to BelarusUģis Lībietis00:00 / 02:58

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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Sochi, Russia, today to meet with Allied President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin’s statement said that deeper integration of Belarus and Russia within the “union state”, mutual trade and energy are on the agenda of the talks.

This is the first personal meeting between the two since the presidential election in Belarus, in which Lukashenko was declared the winner, but the opposition and the West accuse him of falsifying the results. The talks between Putin and Lukashenko are “under the eyes of four”, but before that they both made several statements.

Putin congratulated Lukashenko on his victory in the presidential election. Commenting on the widespread protests in Minsk against Lukashenko, Putin said that the Belarusians should resolve the situation themselves without external interference. At the same time, he noted that Russia and Belarus will continue military cooperation, and that Moscow will provide a significant loan to Minsk.

“There is an agreement that Russia will provide a one and a half billion dollar state loan to Belarus at this difficult time. And we will do that,” Putin said.

Mr Lukashenko thanked Russia for its support. He spoke about the joint military exercises of the two countries, which began in Belarus today, while accusing the West of posing a threat to Belarus. “Belarus’s borders are the country’s state borders. And no one is allowed to squirm at them,” Lukashenko said.

Commenting on what is happening in Belarus, Lukashenko has pointed out that everything is not the way it is shown in the media. “Sometimes I follow it all so carefully with a smile. On Saturday we have a women’s and girls’ march, but on Sunday we have a total march. It’s a holiday, but on other days the country lives a normal life. On Saturday and Sunday we release part of Minsk so that people “There is a desire to walk. But the main thing, and I always say it, is not to cross the line. There are red lines that no one is allowed to cross, and at the moment no one has broken them,” Lukashenko said.

Mr Lukashenko added that lessons had already been learned from last month’s events and that other post-Soviet countries should be analyzed. However, one thing is clear – at a time when Western forces are trying to influence the processes taking place in Belarus, it is much more important to hold on to your older brother.

For his part, Putin welcomed Alexander Lukashenko’s promised start on constitutional changes, announcing that Russia would continue to honor all its commitments under bilateral agreements.

“Russia remains committed to all the commitments and agreements that have been concluded between our countries, including those within the Union. They are also commitments within the framework of the collective security organization. We consider Belarus to be our closest ally and, as I have repeatedly emphasized, in our telephone conversations, we will fulfill all the commitments made, “Putin emphasized.

Prior to the meeting, Svetlana Tikhanovska, a Belarusian opposition candidate in the presidential election, issued a statement addressing Putin and regretting that he was meeting with Lukashenko.

“I would like to remind Vladimir Putin that whatever decisions you make in Sochi, whatever you agree on, it will not have legal force. All agreements signed with the illegitimate Lukashenko will be reviewed by the new government. “It is a great pity that you have decided to have a dialogue with the usurper, not the Belarusian people,” Tikhanovsky said.

Putin and Lukashenko meet during widespread protests against the Lukashenko regime in Minsk. Yesterday, tens of thousands of people gathered in the center of Minsk again, demanding his resignation and new elections. Several hundred people were detained by security forces.

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