Posted on 12/26/2005 9:20:39 AM PST by lizol
Belarus gets Russia gas cheaply not for friendship’s sake
26.12.2005, 18.56
MINSK, December 26 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus gets Russian gas cheaply not for friendship’s sake. “We do not ask Russia to sell us gas for a song,” he said in an interview to Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Monday.
Lukashenko said the transit of Russian gas over Belarussian territory costs one-fifths to one-third of that over Ukraine. “If Ukraine talks about the world price of Russian gas transit, then the price of gas supply should be the world price, too,” he said. Moreover, Ukraine proclaimed its intention to seek NATO membership, and this means, the president said, that “all the defences created and operated jointly with Russia will be eliminated,” and Russia will lose billions of dollars.
Lukashenko said Belarus, far from seeking to get into NATO, takes even a more radical stand regarding the alliance than Russia. “We create new weapons jointly with Russia and we purchase weapons only from Russia,” the president said. He said, Russia now has only the Belarussian army in the westerly direction. “We have never once in history betrayed Russia, and Belarus is Russia’s most reliable ally in the West, even if Russia switches us from gas,” Lukashenko said.
It's not like Lukashenko needs to wear a cheerleader outfit for the world to know he's a fan of Russia.
(No news here)
But it shows more or less how a good Russia - "any other neigbour country" relation should look like.
Lukashenko isn't exactly the norm in terms of anything. If there's any remaining Soviet dictator in the former soviet union it's him. The guy probably has posters of Stalin in his bedroom.
Yes but the vast majority of them also run off and ally with Europe, vote socialists into power, and create corrupt socialist states in an attempt to make freinds. The stop being pro-russian because it's odds with membership in the EU, independant of the portions of their country which ARE Russian.
It'd be like America taking away the rights of Jews to impress Muslims.
I've already shown you the statistics on exactly why poland is the exception to this.
Further 'authoritarian in some way' does not even come close to descibing Lukashenko's government.
Belarus actually has FEWER thnic Russians than Ukraine or Latvia but doesn't use that as an excuse to take away their rights:
Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)
Poland as I recall is quite unhappy by Belarus taking away the rights of Poles in Belarus. You'd think they'd be able to come out and say the same of the situation toward Russians in Ukraine, and Latvia.
Yet the Poles are HAPPY about the situation in Latvia and Ukraine, where Russians are enduring the same opression Poles know is happening to Poles in Belarus. Poles should decide whether they support deportation for ethnic minorities, or the civil rights demanded by all, equally created human beings, and they should be universal in their approval or disaproval with the extent to which those rights are given or taken away:
Belarus-Poland row stirs up press
President Lukashenko: Defying western pressure over human rights
Papers in Poland and Belarus are quick to support the home side in the diplomatic row over the status of ethnic Poles in Belarus.
Polish comment calls for more to be done to confront Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. In Belarus, the Union of Poles is branded as a puppet pushed by Warsaw into a "dirty political game".
There was a time, not long ago, when we suffered from tyranny in Poland. Nobody, from taxi driver to university professor, had any doubts about what the free world should be doing to help our dreams of freedom. Why, then, do we suddenly not know whether to help the Belarussian opposition or how to defend the Polish diaspora in Belarus? ... Let's support the opposition openly.
Poland's Super Express
The Lukashenko regime is persecuting Andzelika Borys. The regime is trying to break Andzelika Borys, the leader of the Union of Poles in Belarus, who has been expelled from her own headquarters. Her every move is followed by herds of secret policemen. She is suspected of subversion.
Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza
Outrage in Poland at the situation in Belarus. The Polish Foreign Minister, Adam Rotfeld, has announced the recall of his ambassador for indefinite consultations. This is just a step away from breaking off diplomatic ties... Meanwhile the Belarussian ambassador to Warsaw says that the decision 'is clear confirmation of Poland's plan to inflame Polish-Belarussian ties'.
Second article in Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza
Minister Rotfeld has announced that the Polish government will soon set up an independent radio, which will broadcast in Belarussian from Poland, to break the information monopoly in Belarus. This is a radical change of policy towards Belarus. Hitherto our country has systematically advocated the toning down of the sanctions being prepared by the EU against Minsk.
Poland's Rzeczpospolita
There is no doubt that the extremist wing of the Union of Poles in Belarus is trying to split the organisation, saying they are defending ethnic minority rights, but in fact dragging the union into political adventures and rows... It is obvious that certain forces in Poland are interested in this turn of events... There will thus be no surprise if foreign masters try to involve as many as possible in anti-state activities. They will turn them into nothing more than obedient puppets being used in a dirty political game.
Belarus Respublika
The Belarussian-Polish incident is but a small part of the 'cold war' waged by the West on President Alexander Lukashenko... The Belarussian ruler is perfectly aware of this, as well as of the fact that he will no longer be able to reach any sort of accord with the West. This is exactly the reason why the cautious Lukashenko is now doing everything he can to minimise any foreign influence - including from Russia - on internal affairs in Belarus.
Belarus Belarusskaya Delovaya Gazeta
Not only Belarussians but also their western neighbours are pretty fed up with this Polish affair. The anti-Belarussian hysteria has been blown out of all proportion.
Belarus Zvyazda
"Yet the Poles are HAPPY about the situation in Latvia and Ukraine, where Russians are enduring the same opression Poles know is happening to Poles in Belarus."
I dare to say that I know better what Poles think than you and I would rather say that average Poles have no idea about situation of Russian minorities in these countries because they just don't care about that.
In case of Belarus Poles have not only right but even obligation to do everything (including minority issue) to crush Lukashenko's regim.
BTW Like I said I don't like any "minorities".
The Poles on FR repeatedly argue to take away the rights of or deport Russians in Ukraine, and Latvia. I support the 4% Poles in Belarus as much as I support the 17% Russians in Ukraine, and 30% Russians in Latvia. No minority deserves to have their rights taken away by a nationalist or authoritarian government.
And?
What rights in your opinion are supposed to be taken away the Russian minority in Ukraine by then "nationalist or authoritarian government" of that country?
And ever time I argue about the treatment of Russians in Latvia I get Poles on FR telling me how evil the Russians are and how they deserve it.
If you'd like to contribute an exception to that it'd be greatly appriciated, for several posts I've had this happen. It'd be refreshing to have someone speak up for the cause of minorty ethnicities throughout East Europe.
And please - keep a minimum level of fairness in discussion, as I don't suppose you'll find a single sentence, where - as you said - "The Poles on FR repeatedly argue to take away the rights of or deport Russians in Ukraine, and Latvia".
I don't understand your question as phrased, I don't think rights should be taken from minorities.
Not every minority has the interests of the majority, or their host nation, in mind.
I don't blame a lot of countries for being skeptical of some of its minorities.
Lukasz and frequent compatriots argue relentlessly that it is good and proper for Russians in Latvia to be denied the right to vote, and that they should be deported.
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