The President of Belarus has denied suggestions that they are using the migration crisis at the EU border to take revenge on the EU for the policy of sanctions, as well as for hosting Belarusian oppositionists there, RIA Novosti reports.
Áåëîðóññèÿ. Ìèíñê. Ïðåçèäåíò Áåëîðóññèè Àëåêñàíäð Ëóêàøåíêî âî âðåìÿ âñòðå÷è ñ æóðíàëèñòàìè, ïðåäñòàâèòåëÿìè îáùåñòâåííîñòè, ýêñïåðòíîãî è ìåäèéíîãî ñîîáùåñòâà â ôîðìàòå îòêðûòîãî ðàçãîâîðà “Áîëüøîé ðàçãîâîð ñ Ïðåçèäåíòîì” âî Äâîðöå Íåçàâèñèìîñòè. Íèêîëàé Ïåòðîâ/ÁåëÒÀ/ÒÀÑÑ
“Is there anything you can do to prove that I have decided to take revenge on the European Union? What do you think of me as a madman?” – Lukashenko said in an interview with CNN TV company.
Recently, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland reported an increase in the number of detained illegal migrants at the border with Belarus and accused Minsk of creating a migration crisis.
Lukashenko noted earlier that Minsk will no longer restrain the flow of illegal migrants to the EU countries. Because of the sanctions of the West, there is “no money, no effort” for this. The border guards of Belarus have repeatedly stated about the forcible expulsion of migrants by Lithuania, Poland and Latvia to the Belarusian territory.
“Can I dictate terms for half a billion people in the European Union with ten million? I don’t think you think I’m insane. Otherwise, they would not have come here. Therefore, I am not going to take revenge on anyone”, the Belarusian leader stated.
According to him, “only weak people can take revenge.” On the whole, the President expressed confidence that Belarus has enough partners and friends in the world to do without relations with the European Union.
“Listen, we have lived without the European Union and will live for many more years. The world is huge. It may be small, but it is huge. And what we need to sell, Russia can simply consume everything. One Russia. And we still have the one and a half billion China – our friends. We will sell something else there”, Lukashenko said.
He also named Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India among the sales markets for Belarusian products.