Sanctions adventurism

Futile are attempts by the US and the EU to isolate and restrain Belarus or to change its policy through sanctions

Sanctions ‘spree’, which, unfortunately, has not only remained ‘topical’ in the United States and in a number of states of the collective West, but, on the contrary, is rapidly gaining momentum, leads to severe humanitarian consequences, compounds negative processes on the tracks of bilateral and multilateral interstate interaction. For almost two years now, ‘sanctions’ is the main word used in the political discourse in the West when they discuss Belarus.

Rounds of sanctions 

It was back in 1997 when the Republic of Belarus first encountered restrictive measures of the Western countries… Just think: even back then the EU was trying, very straightforwardly, to pressure our country so that our development would suit them and not the Belarusians. 

Since then, almost every election campaign in Belarus has been accompanied by a new round of sanctions pressure from the collective West, renewal or introduction of new restrictive measures — under the guise of non-compliance with some standards. 

Although, it would seem, what do Western countries have to do with elections in other sovereign states? It is worth recalling that the first sanctions were imposed practically under the conditions of world hegemony of the United States, which, together with its European partners, tried to ‘measure everyone with one stick’ imposing ‘liberal democracy’.
Belarus, which is on the geopolitical rift, has learned it the hard way. Every state has legitimate foreign interests and tries to protect them. The only question is: ‘how?’.

And the stand of the Republic of Belarus has not wavered for many years. Legitimate interests must be defended by legitimate means, in observance of the principles of international law, the UN Charter, but not by the directly opposite means: pressure, coercion, information attacks, fomenting ‘colour revolutions’ or illegal change of governments. 

Respect the choices of other peoples 

The merits of democracy are undeniable and universally recognised. However, Western countries should long have admitted that democracy is multifaceted, it is not a patent or a privilege of a few, it does not exist in just one ‘right’ shape, especially not when imposed from outside. In each case, this is the result of the historical development of a particular people, with respect for its traditions, culture, way of life, political, social and economic realities and other factors. 

‘Revolutions’, even ‘democratic’ ones, do much more harm than good, and do not stand comparison with the gradual evolution of society, during which a deep understanding is formed in it, a ‘cultural archetype’ is created, if you like, that a person, a citizen, along with rights has also duties, and with each of his or her actions must bear responsibility for his or her people and country, for his or her state. 

More than 15 years ago, the President of Belarus launched an initiative at the UN summit in September 2005 to recognise the diversity of ways for the progressive development of the world’s countries as one of the principles of international relations. It was included in the World Summit Outcome Document and is in line with the goals enshrined in the UN Charter to ensure international peace and security, justice, and to create opportunities for all countries and peoples of the planet to live freely and develop freely. In the context of today, this initiative is as relevant as ever. 

It is an appeal for the entire world to comprehend and accept the fact that we are all different, it is crucial to respect the choices of other peoples, regardless of their size and global clout; while the imposition, especially violent, of profoundly alien models of development is futile, as evidenced by numerous sad examples of modern history.

Sanctions without effect

Unfortunately, Western countries have not yet been ready to forego unilateral restrictive or coercive measures, despite their obvious negative consequences for the populations of the affected countries — and even for their own citizens and businesses. History knows not a single example when unilateral sanctions, embargoes or blockades achieved the ‘desired’ goal, while the detriment for the everyday people is obvious. Sanctions have become a foreign policy mechanism against those states that are not ready to live and work according to Western models and recipes, to act in line with the interests of Washington and Brussels and, in contrast, pursue their own path of development. 

According to Western experts, over the past five years, the U.S. government has imposed an unprecedented number of sanctions, purportedly related to human rights violations and corruption (an average of 230 rounds per calendar year). 

Most of these measures, carried out in parallel with the support of the so-called beleaguered opposition, are aimed at undermining the economy of the targeted country, impoverishing the population, and overthrowing the current government. The most telling examples are Syria, where a bloody military conflict has been going on for about 10 years; Venezuela, which is in a prolonged humanitarian crisis; and, perhaps most strikingly, the decades-long economic blockade of Cuba by the United States. 
Currently, this strategy of the West is most aggressively and extensively implemented against Russia. Belarus is also in the crosshairs of the Western countries. While the U.S. administration, with the active support of the UK and Canada, is using economic sanctions as part of its broader ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on rogue states, the European Union has already all but switched to the same model in its foreign policy. 

Example of powerlessness

The Republic of Belarus became an example of the powerlessness of sanctions. It is indicative that the Republic of Belarus achieved the greatest progress in democratic transformations precisely when the sanctions were lifted or suspended, when business interaction, people-to-people contacts and humanitarian co-operation were developing. 
We had a civilised, even if not simple, dialogue with Western experts and politicians. All that helped to set in motion public processes, launch the necessary initiatives to improve the state administration, develop partner relations of the state with the business and civil society, and ultimately worked to promote human rights and the country’s progress toward that same democracy, and helped expand fruitful contacts with partners both in the West and in the East. 

Regrettably, all that was destroyed overnight: the failed attempt of the ‘colour revolution’ in August 2020 created the deepest crisis of trust in Belarus’ relations with the Western countries and threw our co-operation many years back. The sanctions conveyor against our country fuelled by the European bureaucracy has aggravated this situation and shown their true intentions. 

We have where to go 

European capitals continue to live in a parallel world. Contributes to it exclusive communication with partners of their convenience — the runaway opponents of the Belarusian authorities who are not just non-constructive, but, for the most part, extremely radical. Western politicians are ready to believe in the absurdity that the Belarusians themselves beg for sanctions, want to live worse, have problems with payments, etc. Meanwhile, according to the recent opinion polls, the overwhelming majority of Belarusians — over 70 percent of respondents — perceive the sanctions of the collective West against Belarus and Russia negatively or rather negatively.
Years under Western sanctions have only hardened our fledgling state. The Belarusian economy acquired invaluable experience of how to work and develop in crisis conditions, rely on its own strength, establish partnerships with other regions of the world, and value true friends. 
The situation in which Belarus finds itself today is, on the one hand, a serious challenge, a kind of endurance test. On the other hand, it is a chance and a new opportunity to revisit our approaches to foreign economic activity in order to find new ‘points of growth’ contributing to greater resilience of the national economy, as well as to carefully assess the prospects of interaction with partners and allies in the military-political sphere, which is directly related to the protection of the country’s sovereignty. 

We are actively searching for new niches and areas to expand the geography of the Belarusian exports, primarily in the East. We have where to go… Futile are attempts by the U.S. and the EU to isolate and restrain Belarus or to change its policy through sanctions. 

According to Western experts, sanctions against Russia only from 2014 to February 2022 cost Europe more than €100 billion. And the enormous damage of the sanctions imposed after the start of the Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, which backfire against their initiators, including the United States, is hard to assess in full. Belarus is a much smaller economy, but the sanctions measures against us also have their toll, which European businesses are already paying in millions of euros and dollars of broken contracts and lost profits. Have the good people advocating the sanctions calculated these damages to businesses and economies of their countries? I think it is unlikely, because it will have no effect whatsoever on those in ‘warm offices’ who directly make such decisions. However, I very much want to believe that our partners’ common sense will prevail. It is impossible to achieve a positive result, using destructive methods and techniques, as barbaric as during colonial times.
Belarus, in its turn, remains a predictable and responsible partner, open to mutually respectful dialogue, constructive and mutually beneficial co-operation with all foreign countries, which are ready for it and sincerely interested in it.

By Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei

The full version of the article was published in the Problems of Administration scientific and practical journal of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Belarus (№3 (85), July-September 2022) and on the website of the MFA https:// mfa.gov.by