Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued a stern message on Friday to other countries of the former Soviet Union that are keeping their distance from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
“The countries of the post-Soviet space should be sincerely interested in rapprochement with the union state, if, of course, they want to preserve their sovereignty and independence,” Lukashenko said, according to an English translation of a report by the Belarusian state-run BelTA news agency. “We are convinced that only together we can withstand global challenges.
Lukashenko met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Grodno, Belarus, as part of the ninth Belarus-Russia Forum of Regions when he made the comments.
“Those who still have doubts should understand: without rapid unity and cohesion, strengthening of interstate ties and simply normal human relations, we may not exist tomorrow,” added Lukashenko, who has been an outspoken supporter of Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.
“The countries of the post-Soviet space should be sincerely interested in rapprochement with the union state, if, of course, they want to preserve their sovereignty and independence,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday. Above, Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with Lukashenko at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 11. MIKHAIL KLIMENTIEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
Also Friday, Putin said the West’s response to his war in Ukraine was pushing Russia and Belarus toward unification.
“Unprecedented political and sanctions pressure from the so-called ‘collective West’ is pushing us to accelerate unification processes,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript. “After all, together it is easier to minimize the damage from the imposed illegal sanctions, easier to start the production of popular products, develop new competencies and expand cooperation with friendly countries.
Since the invasion began in late February, Belarus has allowed Moscow to deploy troops and conduct large-scale military exercises in the country. In return, Putin mentioned that Belarus and Lukashenko would have access in the coming months to missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, specifically Iskander-M tactical missile systems.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Belarusians in his own video address, telling citizens that “the Kremlin has already decided everything for you.”
“But you are not slaves and cannon fodder,” added Zelensky. “You don’t have to die.”
The sanctions have had an adverse impact on the Russian economy, including a lull in the production of vehicles and home appliances in addition to reduced consumer demand, likely reflecting lower wages amid the country’s high inflation.
In May, Russia’s industrial production index – a monthly economic indicator measuring real output in the manufacturing, mining, electricity and gas industries – fell 1.7 percent compared to May 2021.
Economic uncertainty has led some of Putin’s allies, such as oligarch Oleg Deripaska, to say that the complete destruction of Ukraine would be a “colossal mistake” for Russia.
“I’m concerned about how quickly we abandoned everything that was achieved (economically) in the 1990s, then we abandoned everything we achieved in the 2000s, and now we’re sitting back and waiting for victory.” Victory of what? Whose victory? ” Deripaska said recently.
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