Lukashenko: Belarus’ neighbours are suffering from their own sanctions
Speaking to journalists after opening the children's polyclinic in Minsk, the Head of State touched upon the sanctions issue, noting that Belarus’ neighbours are doing themselves considerable harm with their clumsy actions
“No one is engaged in economics there, no one is thinking over… Lithuania, Latvia… They are not simply shooting themselves in their legs: they have already shot themselves in their heads. It is necessary to think before imposing any sanctions,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
As an example, the Head of State mentioned the ban on Belarusian road carriers’ activity, “They imposed sanctions on cars, and we were not allowed to go there. Well. We are not allowed, so you will not go either. Come to our territory, leave your truck, we then take it on a trailer and drive to the right place. They began to protest! But why are you crying? You initiated all this. And it is observed everywhere.”
The Belarusian leader summed up: before doing anything, politicians in Europe should think carefully in order to at least get in their own leg, and not in their own head. “Why are they doing this? These are already granddaughters of the parents I once knew. Do they understand anything about economics? No. [They think]: we will close it now, and it will be worse for Belarusians. True, it will be worse for us. And what about you? It will be even worse for you," he stressed.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that, as the West approached the sixth package of sanctions, many European leaders thought about stopping it: ‘Because tomorrow we will collapse altogether’. “They will collapse anyway. You will see: in a year, there will be a collapse,” he said.
The Head of State added that the European furniture industry is now on the verge of a deep crisis, as it has deprived itself of raw materials from Russia and Belarus, “This [situation] will be observed everywhere. The world's logistics links have been destroyed, and production ties are broken.”
At the same time, the President emphasised that Europe is somehow starting to think about what is happening, while the United States is indifferent to all problems. “Americans are far away. They need not only Russia and China, but also Europe to keep in check,” he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the United States is alarmed by the desire of the European Union and some of its members to pursue an independent policy – as it was once observed during the Euro introduction. The President stressed, “I think the best option for Europe (I am already an experienced politician), the most optimal one is the unity with Russia and the creation of a huge centre of power: neither America nor China would be comparable with the technological West and resource–rich Russia (I mean the post-Soviet space). But they lack brains, and they are not moving along this direction.”
However, as the Head of State added, this is not the only reason: the United States prevents them from conducting an independent policy. “It is strong, and it keeps its army and nuclear warheads there – everything. Therefore, it has enough levers of influence. It [the US] is holding Europe,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
According to the President, Americans have always wanted to weaken Europe. The UK’s exit from the European Union and flirting with Poland have been among the points to achieve this goal. “The US has pincered Europe, and this poor Europe is rattling around… You are a strong nuclear power – France, Germany. Come off it, come to an agreement with Russia (Russia is ready for this), create the strongest centre here. China, the European Union together with Russia, and also America. There will be no way out for it. It will calm down. But they cannot – both for objective and subjective reasons,” he noted.
