Lukashenko on internal situation in Poland and its impact on dialogue with Belarus: Poles are not fools
The internal situation in Poland is pushing for building relations with Belarus – as stated by President Aleksandr Lukashenko in an interview with Rossiya TV channel, BelTA reports
The Head of State was asked about the recent statement by Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak on the existence of a basis for agreements with Minsk on a number of complex issues, which solution will contribute to the opening of the previously closed border checkpoints.
"Well, as regards a basis, I would like to know what the basis is this. It’s a very good statement. They should not fight against either Russia or Belarus. They should establish and conduct economic co-operation, move away from militarisation, which they are carrying out at the US expense,” the Head of State said. “Poles are not fools. They lived in the socialist camp together with us, and this gene is deeply rooted into them. They are not fools. The majority of Poles reject the previous policy of [President Andrzej] Duda and of [Prime Minister Donald] Tusk now. Therefore, their internal situation is pushing them to build these relationships. However, I do not see this basis, sadly.”
As for the closure of the border checkpoints, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that this move is of no difference to Belarus, “It doesn’t affect Russia and Belarus one way or another. The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions against us, but we do not go there, and we bring there nothing. Why are they waving this ‘white flag’, which has nothing to do with the policy that would be in our interests? We are not trading with them, so it’s not a problem that they have closed [checkpoints].”
The Head of State recalled that the European Union and Poland, among others, stopped co-operating with Belarus on border issues. "They imposed sanctions and stopped co-operating with us on border aspects. We said: ok, there is no readmission agreement, we terminated it [in October 2021, Belarus adopted a law suspending the agreement with the EU on readmission of persons staying without permission]. They stopped building centres [for temporary accommodation of migrants on the territory of Belarus], and we said we would not gather migrants on our territory. As a result, the latter flooded there. This situation is a disaster for them, for the whole European Union. What am I wrong about?" Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
"The second disaster for them occurred when, together with Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], we agreed that he would transfer tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus,” the President added.
