Belarus opposition leader weighs in on Lukashenko's dependence on Putin
Photo: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Getty Images)
No one can influence Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, except for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
"He will fulfil all the orders of Putin, but he's doing this against the will of the Belarusian people," says Tsikhanouskaya.
According to her, Lukashenko acts solely in the interests of the Kremlin and is ready to sacrifice Belarus’s sovereignty to retain power.
"Lukashenka is serving to Russia's interests, not the interests of the Belarusian people. He's ready to betray our sovereignty, our independence, just to stay in power. So please don't think that Lukashenka can be split," she says.
Tsikhanouskaya emphasizes that attempts by international partners to influence the Belarusian leader will not yield tangible results.
She also states that there is a close political alliance between Lukashenko and Putin that cannot be broken by external pressure.
"Lukashenka and Putin have a symbiotic friendship, they support each other, they use each other. And of course, it's an illusion that they can be split," she emphasizes.
Background
On May 24, a rare telephone conversation took place between French President Emmanuel Macron and Alexander Lukashenko.
As reported by the Belarusian edition of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, during the conversation, the French leader directly warned Lukashenko of the danger of dragging Belarus into the war on the side of Russia.
According to the agency, the French President stressed that the consequences of such a decision for the Belarusian regime could be catastrophic.
