15.05.2022, Moscow.
President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko made a decision to converge with Russia only when he realized that his country could not survive under West’s pressure, said philosopher, political scientist and the leader of the Essence of Time movement Sergey Kurginyan on May 11 in an interview to BelTA.
Kurginyan noted that the Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko is the only one among the leaders of the post-Soviet republics who successfully built a modernized country. The political scientist explained that Lukashenko did that based on respect for the Soviet and Russian values and the Great Patriotic War and by building an ideology based on the unity of traditions with Russia.
“As soon as he did so, a Belarusian identity appeared, which is complementary to Russia although having its own parameters at the same time. This turned out to be possible,” the philosopher indicated.
According to Kurginyan, the Belarusian leader built a hybrid economy taking advantage of the country’s location between Russia and the West. However, it became clear that the existence of such a European country is unwanted by the West, but Belarus is too small to resist the Western pressure alone.
Actually, its was the West’s pressure that made Lukashenko begin convergence with Russia, after he realized that Belarus could not survive alone, the political scientist said, adding that Lukashenko’s reluctance to converge with Russia was due to his fear of takeover by the Russian Federation.
“Because everything that happened in Russia with all its oligarchy and post-oligarchy was far form the best option he could wish to the Belarusian people. And I agree with him,” Kurginyan indicated.
This fear of takeover by Russia makes Lukashenko keep looking for ways to maneuver, hesitating between uniting with Russia and halting the process, the political scientist believes.
“He then began a sort of convergence based on desperation. As one of Dostoyevsky’s heroes said, ‘since there is no other place to go.’ He is doing this, then he makes a little maneuver again, then he is doing this again,” the philosopher explained.
However, the need for convergence with Russia is something dictated by life itself, and the higher the pressure on Russia and Belarus is the more this convergence will have to intensify, the political scientist believes.
“But the greater the pressure is, the more important it will be to understand a simple thing: small countries with their more or less adequate idea of their historical dignity are unwanted by the West. They will be able to exist neither in the West nor in the East. This is a law of empires,” Kurginyan concluded.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
