Putin did not interfere

• 29.02.2012, 14:29

The Russian Prime Minister’s support of Lukashenka’s confrontation with the European Union in the sanctions issue was no surprise.

“As for the sanctions, you are familiar with our attitude towards all kinds of sanctions. They are often inefficient at best,” Putin said today.

“The tragic events in Libya and Iraq show that no matter what sanctions are used, they result in an intervention. And this is undoubtedly an element of pressure,” Putin emphasized.

At the same time Putin said that he does not consider the sanctions against Belarus to be directed against the Customs Union or the Eurasian Economic Community.

“The sanctions are meant to threaten neither the Customs Union, nor the Eurasian Economic Community,” Russian media quote Putin. “This is a purely political matter between the European Union and Belarus.”

“We regret this decision and hope that sooner or later the relations between the European Union and Belarus will become stable and that this will not affect our Eurasian integration processes, “ the Russian Prime Minister concluded.