The European Parliament published a resolution urging the EU countries to take additional measures against Russia if Moscow continues to integrate with Belarus, Gazeta.ru reports.
“The European Parliament considers this a violation of the sovereignty of Belarus, since the Belarusian people are deprived of the right to determine the future of their country; if Russia continues its current policy towards Belarus, the EU will have to introduce additional containment measures against Russia”, the document says.
The resolution also notes that the military exercises “West-2021”, which Minsk and Moscow jointly held in September, demonstrate “the offensive position of Russia and its determination to use its capabilities for hostile purposes.”
European politicians are of the opinion that the integration of the oil and gas markets of the two countries will increase the risk that “Lukashenko will continue to compromise the sovereignty of Belarus in exchange for additional support from Russia.”
State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev called the resolution interference in the internal affairs of two sovereign states. According to him, the European Parliament should pay attention to the development and strengthening of ties within the European Union.
“This step is an unprecedented example of actual interference in the affairs of two sovereign and independent states, in respect of which the Western partners are systematically pursuing an unlawful policy of sanctions pressure,” Mezentsev emphasized.
The politician noted that Strasbourg does not see “external challenges and threats of the modern world – COVID-19, terrorism and cyber security issues, the migration crisis, contradictions in the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Program proposed by the UN, and many other problems and contradictions.”
Earlier it became known that the presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko fully coordinated the integration programs of the Union State. According to experts, the integration of the two states will significantly accelerate GDP growth.