Viachorka: If Europe starts to yield to Lukashenka, it will weaken American positions

Franak Viachorka. Photo: Lookby.media

“Americans are resolutely determined. And Kohle called Tsikhanouskaya, assuring her that everything is moving forward, it hasn't stopped. There are certain difficulties in these negotiations; negotiations with Lukashenka are very complex. Lukashenka constantly changes the rules of the game, changes the conditions,” said Viachorka.

According to him, Lukashenka is trying to "push" the EU through the US to have European sanctions lifted:

“Lukashenka has a feeling that he can break Europe. He hopes that through America, he will be able to break Europe's unified position. And it seems to me that if Europe starts to yield and begins this track, it will weaken American positions.

Why does Lukashenka give everything to Trump? Because he understands that he will get nothing from Europe. And now, perhaps, Lukashenka hopes that if Europe falters, if the European front starts to crumble now, then he won't even need the Americans anymore.”

Viachorka stressed the importance of continuing negotiations between Washington and Minsk:

“It is important to maintain this American track; we support it, we communicate, and we hope that this year there will be more releases, and ideally, for everyone to be freed.”

Regarding the possible visit to Minsk by the head of French intelligence, Nicolas Lerner, about which political activist Valery Tsepkalo previously wrote, Viachorka said that, firstly, there were no official confirmations of this, and secondly, there is nothing unusual about such contacts:

“The line of communication with Minsk has always remained. Delegations from European countries meet with Minsk, coming every year at the level of directors or individual departments of foreign ministries, and through intelligence agencies. And Poland, when dealing with the release of Poczobut, also met — both physically and otherwise.”

Thus, as Tsikhanouskaya's advisor emphasized, communication has not been interrupted, and “if someone says there is no dialogue, Europe did not speak, then that is untrue, there has been dialogue for all six years.”

“The problem was on Minsk's side, that Minsk did not want to release, did not want to talk about political prisoners, did not want to stop repressions. But now the situation in Minsk is indeed difficult, because revenues are decreasing, this economic boom after the start of the full-scale war has fallen, the economy is in stagnation, now he is grasping at every straw,” Viachorka continued.

Precisely now, according to him, more pressure should be exerted on Lukashenka:

“He is now grasping at every straw to reduce sanctions pressure, and is even ready to release political prisoners. In such moments of Lukashenka's weakness, one should not soften, but on the contrary, demand more, exert even greater pressure. And I think the European role is to exert this pressure. And the Americans, who have already entered the negotiation track, should put demands on the table.”

• 0
• 0
• 1
• 1
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0