BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/01/2007

Expert: Ukraine will not support Belarus in its oil-and-gas conflict with Russia

"It is hardly probable that Viktor Yanukovich's government will become united with the official Minsk. Well, the best action in this situation could be if Ukraine together with Belarus denied access of the Russian oil abroad. But there is pro-Russian government now in Ukraine, and main participants of the anti-crisis coalition, Regions Party, Ukrainian Communist Party and Ukrainian Socialist Party, are more inclined to support the Kremlin's position in the Moscow-Minsk stand-off," political analyst, MP (Bloc of Yulia Timoshenko) Vladimir Polokhalo said.

"If in the end of 2005 and 2006 Ukraine did not dare to turn to the international community concerning the undisguised gas blackmailing by Russia, Ukraine will take no action to help Belarus now either. Thus, we remember that it was Yushchenko's peaceful pro-Russian position that caused signing of those notorious gas agreements when the Yekhanurov government practically forced Ukraine to its knees in front of Russia. So, one can state today that Ukraine is gas-addicted from Russia and cannot get rid of this addiction," the MP believes.

According to the analyst, today in Ukraine, "excessive Yushchenko's tolerance together with Yanukovich's pro-Russian stance was the reason why Ukraine made no official statements concerning its two closest neighbors, Russia and Belarus." "That is why Kiev will not make friends with Minsk against Moscow. The official Kiev will never go against Moscow," Polokhalo said.

"If one assesses Lukashenko's actions in this situation, one can say that he had two reasons for a conflict with Russia. First, there is an example of Ukraine: the Kremlin's tough pragmatism does not appreciate tolerance of a weaker party, and such scenario does not suit Lukashenko. Second, Lukashenko is now more oriented towards Beijing from which he received serious proposals and, henceforth, expects support," Vladimir Polokhalo concluded.

Source:

http://www.regnum.ru/english/polit/764643.html

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