Belarus' president says merger with Russia would lead to violence worse than in Chechnya

International Herald Tribune ^ | September 29, 2006

[Lukasz]

MINSK, Belarus Belarus' authoritarian president railed Friday against a proposed merger with Russia, warning it could lead to violence and disorder worse than in Russia's restive Chechnya region.

President Alexander Lukashenko's blunt remarks highlighted the rising tensions between the two ex-Soviet allies amid strained talks over natural gas prices.

Moscow and Minsk signed a union treaty in 1996 that envisaged close political, economic and military ties, but stopped short of creating a single state. The Kremlin, increasingly impatient about subsidizing Belarus' Soviet-style economy with cheap gas, has since proposed that Belarus be absorbed into Russia.

Lukashenko, who has vehemently opposed such a union, reiterated his stance during a 4 1/2-hour news conference Friday. "Even (Soviet dictator Josef) Stalin didn't go as far as that ... I don't want to be the first and the last Belarusian president," he said.

[Lukasz]

Eastern European ping list

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FRmail me to be added or removed from this Eastern European ping list ping list.

[Just mythoughts]

Putin calls this 'energy security', economic blackmail.

[Lukasz]

Even dear batka Luka doesn’t like Putin’s Russia LOL

[mainepatsfan]

I'm sure the UN can mediate this situation. /major sarcasm

[Lukasz]

Well, Russia has the right to increase price for Belarus, this is not a problem but when Polish company bought Lithuanian refinery they immediately stopped to provide oil. This refinery have valid contract and pays so called “market price”. Of course this is only one example of their thuggish behavior.

[Lukasz]

If only Chirac would be secretary general!

[Cheburashka]

Putin's dream was to reunify Russia, Ukraine, Belarus (and perhaps other "former" republics as opportunities would arise) as a greater non-communist "Soviet" Union. This didn't work out, so he's extracting as much money as possible from Russia's oil and natural gas resources.

Lukashenko was hoping to be Putin's successor as President of that hypothetical union and to apply the methods of rule in it that he uses in Belarus. He's not going to get his wish either.

So now neither of them has a use for the other. It's not surprising that they have a falling out.

Perhaps Putin will now have an interest in solving the "Lukashenko problem". We will see.

[Just mythoughts]

I reread the story and failed to see anything about Poland and Lithuanian refinery purchase.

This article is specifically about Russia and Belarus and the apparent intent is to force Belarus to become part of Russia over a 1996 energy contract.

You surely are not going to claim that Russia's energy contracts give them the right to force independent nations to become part of Russia????

[Lukasz]

Perhaps Putin will now have an interest in solving the "Lukashenko problem". We will see.

Even if, Putin would like to replace him to puppet loyal to Kremlin. Otherwise he still prefer Luka.

[Lukasz]

I reread the story and failed to see anything about Poland and Lithuanian refinery purchase.

Of course not, it was my commentary to your statement about Putin’s “energy security”. Same fact that they want to increase price is nothing wrong. Actually Belarus pays them pennies.

This article is specifically about Russia and Belarus and the apparent intent is to force Belarus to become part of Russia over a 1996 energy contract.

Putin would like to annex Belarus but Lukashenko claims is also spin. He himself often spoke about such union.

You surely are not going to claim that Russia's energy contracts give them the right to force independent nations to become part of Russia????

Of course not, I don’t know how my post caused that you made this conclusion.

[Cheburashka]

Even if, Putin would like to replace him to puppet loyal to Kremlin. Otherwise he still prefer Luka.
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Even if the successor were a Putin puppet, he would still be closer to an actual democrat than Lukashenko. And who can say that given the opportunity to really choose, the Belarusian people will choose Putin's puppet?

And Putin's time as President of Russia grows short. He only has a year and a half left. And he's no political magician, as far as manipulating foreign countries to his will.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Aren't Belorussian and Russian relations still very close?

[Lukasz]

Probably such guy would replace communism to post-communist social-“wild capitalism”, in other words oligarchy. Wherever this is better is questionable.

[Lukasz]

Aren't Belorussian and Russian relations still very close?

They were but looks like Luka want to go for isolation. He still have North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. But all of them have excellent relations with Russia.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Much appreciated. Chavez (Venezuela) got rather chummy with Lukashenko on his antiU.S. tour recently.

[Thunder90]

Could be that they are trying to distract us from Russia's dabbling with Iran and North Korea...

[Thunder90]

Yes, they are. As I said, this could be a show to distract us from Russia's and Belarus's dabblings with Iran and North Korea.

[G8 Diplomat]

The Kremlin, increasingly impatient about subsidizing Belarus' Soviet-style economy with cheap gas, has since proposed that Belarus be absorbed into Russia.

Here we go again. 1917 all over again. It's Russia's subtle move to get the Soviet Union back together, maybe?

And it's BELORUSSIAN, not "Belarusian". I think I've said that a thousand times on FR :)