Russia responded to Lukashenka’s threats to cut off the gas pipeline: Politics: Russia: Lenta.ru
Threatening to cut off the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is just like the leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un, promising to strike the United States with nuclear missiles. Such a comparison in a conversation with “Lenta.ru” was given by economist Alexei Korenev.
He noticed that the politician did not happen to make loud, scandalous statements.
“The shutdown of the gas pipeline, even now, in the midst of the energy crisis, will be perceived by both European leaders and ordinary people as an unequivocal blackmail. This is a blow to the most sore spot. Europe does not have enough gas anyway, and then it will also be cut off. If Lukashenka nevertheless takes such a step, he will fall under such sanctions that he never dreamed of. Of course, the main trade partner of Belarus is Russia, but this does not mean that the country exists in a vacuum. You can put pressure on it, and you can put pressure on it very hard, ”the economist is grateful.
Similar statements, he said, are regularly made by Kim Jong-un, promising to strike missiles on US territory. But everyone understands that he never does this, since such a step would be tantamount to suicide. The same as he dares to shut off the gas pipeline is happening in the case of Lukashenka. Most likely, the situation is limited to verbal blackmail.
“The situation in Belarus is very difficult now. She cannot decide what to do with all these cold and hungry migrants. Lukashenka has a hopeless situation: it is impossible to squeeze them out to Europe, it is impossible to keep them, neither Germany nor Russia wants to help. He is stumped and is trying to get out of the situation with the help of at least threats that are perceived negatively. I am sure that in the near future there will be a rebuke from Germany, France, Poland and other states promising to severely punish Belarus if the gas pipeline is shut down. So, I hope that in the end Lukashenka will say that he was simply misunderstood. Otherwise, the people will be sorry the most, ”Korenev concluded.
The migration crisis on the border of Belarus and the EU countries began after Lukashenko threatened to weaken control over the flow of goods and drug trafficking. This happened against the backdrop of yet another aggravation of relations between Minsk and the West. On November 11, the Belarusian leader promised to cut off the Yamal – Europe gas pipeline if the borders with Belarus are closed.