{"id":11299,"date":"2021-12-12T00:47:57","date_gmt":"2021-12-11T21:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/foreign-minister-minsk-may-surrender-independence-under-western-pressure\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"foreign-minister-minsk-may-surrender-independence-under-western-pressure","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11299\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign minister: Minsk may surrender independence under Western pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n A threat to Belarus\u2019 independence comes from its government, not Western sanctions. <\/b>\n<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cBelarus risks losing its statehood if sanction pressure continues,\u201d the country\u2019s foreign minister said in a televised interview on December 3. \u201cAlthough we will do our best to prevent this. And the European Union will lose Belarus forever. I think this is absolutely not in the interests of Europe.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Luka\u0161enka more likely to surrender power to Russia than to Belarusian people<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t The foreign minister\u2019s statement is shocking. The ruling regime does not consider the country\u2019s independence as something valuable and its ready to give it up under circumstances. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t It sees Belarusian statehood as a byproduct of the authoritarian regime. The current government agencies operate to defend the regime instead of performing the functions of proper state institutions. And finally, if faced with a choice, the government would surrender power to Russia, not to the Belarusian people. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t Rapprochement with Russia poses a real threat to Belarus\u2019 sovereignty, although Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka has denied it recently. Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makiej has now confirmed it, debunking propaganda myths, which means that 30 years of independence were wasted.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Makiej seems to be thinking that Belarus\u2019 independence is much more important for the West than for the country\u2019s political leadership. That is why he was trying to blackmail the European Union: if you tighten sanctions we will give up independence and unify with Russia.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t After Luka\u0161enka publicly recognized Crimea as Russian territory and said that Belarus would back Russia in any conflict with Ukraine, the West no longer considers Belarus an independent country, especially as far as its armed forces are concerned.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Western politicians should interpret Makiej\u2019s statement as proof that the greatest threat to Belarus\u2019 independence comes from its government. \n<\/p>\n

Countersanctions and smuggling<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t The Belarusian government announced on December 6 that it banned imports of certain food items from EU countries. Officials probably reasoned that more severe countermeasures would affect Belarus rather than countries targeted. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t The food import ban will not make a great impact on the EU because Belarus is a small market.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t On the other hand, food prices may rise in Belarus because it may have to buy those food items elsewhere. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t The government has issued a directive to approve the upper limits for critical imports. Regulatory limits create opportunities for corruption.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Belarus did not align itself with Russia\u2019s 2014 ban on food imports from the EU. Minsk also turned a blind eye to various schemes for smuggling banned food to Russia.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Now Belarus has adopted the same measures that Russia introduced seven years ago. Will the move hit smugglers? Not necessarily, as long as the government reserves the right to allow imports of certain items within certain limits. \n<\/p>\n

Luka\u0161enka seeks to pull EAEU into the fray<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t Speaking at a video conference of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 10, the Belarusian leader demonized the West and urged the leaders of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries to take an anti-Western stance.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cWe have information that your ministries also had visitors from Western countries and the United States of America who asked you to join pressure on Belarus,\u201d he said. \u201cThey will coerce you\u2026 to join these sanctions against our country.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It would be an interesting statement if it were true. However, news has just come in that the United States has issued a license to the Belarusian Potash Company until April 2022. And Lithuania does not plan to block Belarusian potash transshipments through its sea ports. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d A threat to Belarus\u2019 independence comes from its government, not Western sanctions. \u201cBelarus risks losing its statehood if sanction pressure continues,\u201d the country\u2019s foreign minister said in a televised interview on December 3. \u201cAlthough we will do our best to prevent this. And the European Union will lose Belarus forever. I think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11299","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nForeign minister: Minsk may surrender independence under Western pressure | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d A threat to Belarus\u2019 independence comes from its government, not Western sanctions. \u201cBelarus risks losing its statehood if\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11299\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foreign minister: Minsk may surrender independence under Western pressure | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" 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