Residents of border villages feared border closures
Belarus is literally surrounded by enemies. On Thursday, President Alexander Lukashenko thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for his public support “against attempts to destabilize the situation” in the country, and proved the next day that the aid was more than justified. In his speech at the Independence Day meeting, he announced that “sleeping terrorist cells” had been removed in the country. The statement caused panic in Ukraine – from there, according to Lukashenko, weapons got to Minsk, so the border between the countries must be closed.
At a ceremony in honor of Belarus Independence Day, Lukashenko spoke of another attempt to seize power. Photo: gov.by
The “terrorists” gathered on the telegram channel “Department of Self-Defense of Belarus”. “Combat Reserve” group – 2.5 thousand subscribers. The attackers allegedly planned to undermine the Russian Navy's communications center in the Belarusian city of Vileika and, for some reason, cut off the language of STV journalist Grigory Azarenok. They failed in none of this. Security was cautiously increased in Vileice, and Azarenok literally dispersed the attackers with one hand. “The main moderator of this event is Dudnikov, a citizen of the Russian Federation,” the president said.
Germany, Ukraine, the USA, Poland and Lithuania were also allegedly involved in the impending “terror” against Minsk. According to Belarusian security officials, weapons were mainly supplied to Belarus, so Lukashenko decided to close this part of the border. The report caused panic among the inhabitants of Ukrainian border villages, reports the daily “Strana”. A simplified border crossing regime has been in place for 10 years – in the blueberry season from 1 to 10 August and in the cranberry harvest – from 1 to 15 September. Now they fear that they will be left without these reserves, and accuse the country's leadership of another conflict with its neighbors: “Isn't that enough for us, Russia and the war in Donbas?”
However, the fear turned out to be unfounded. People who crossed the Belarusian-Ukrainian border last weekend report no changes. “Everything was normal.” We looked at the documents, quickly examined things and let them go. It was not unusual, “a man who came from Minsk from Ukraine on Saturday shared with MK. According to Belarusian political scientists, with whom the MK spoke, the authorities often threaten to close the border to Kiev, but the matter usually does not go beyond words.
Ukrainian political scientist Aleksey Yakubin explained that ending the report in the current situation would be inappropriate. “First, Ukraine is largely dependent on the fuel market it receives from Belarus.” The second point is Zelensky's advertised project “Big Construction”, for the implementation of which Ukraine buys bitumen from Belarus. I think that the economic part of relations between countries will be inviolable. In both Minsk and Kiev, they count money, so they will try to maintain a neutral line, “explained Yakubin.
In Kiev itself, the Belarusian party's accusations were reacted cautiously. Oleg Nikolenko, an official representative of the local foreign ministry, explained that Ukraine did not organize arms deliveries to Belarus and never interfered in the country's internal affairs.
Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Institute of the CIS countries, believes that Lukashenko's statement focused on Russia. “He will ask for economic help, he will try not to make any promises of integration, etc.” Lukashenko takes advantage of the fact that in the current situation she is under open pressure from the West, which is trying to get rid of him. Russia is now constrained by forms and methods of coercion. Because much of what Lukashenko would like to say is not said, “believes the expert.
In his opinion, Russia occupies a rather soft position vis-à-vis the Belarusian leader. For several years now, Moscow has demanded that Minsk recognize Crimea as Russian and sign roadmaps for deeper integration. “Lukashenko is in a position to do so,” Zharikhin is confident. – He is allowed not to go to the Crimea and does not go. If he is allowed not to provide evidence of the participation of Russian citizens in “terrorist groups”, then no. No matter how threatening it may all sound, there is too little texture for such serious statements. Details are needed but not yet available. “