Zmitser Bandarenka: Lukashenka goes to Kyiv to beg money for oil products

• 22.12.2014, 12:29

The Belarusian ruler urgently needs hard cash.

Zmitser Bandarenka, a coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign, spoke to charter97.org about Aliaksandr Lukashenka's visit to Kyiv and his talks with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko that take place today.

“Lukashenka went to Kyiv to solve problems with paying for Belarusian goods, above all oil products. Ukraine's purchasing power fell due to a sharp devaluation of the hryvnia. Ukraine insists on reducing prices of Belarusian oil products, because they are significantly overpriced, though Belarus buys Russian oil at a very low price.

The talks are likely to be hard, because Lukashenka is in a very difficult situation. The desire to earn on Russian sanctions have led to catastrophic consequences for the Belarusian financial system. Belarus spent huge money on buying products in Poland and other EU countries to later sell them to Russia. But after the Russian ruble fell, Lukashenka trades at a loss.

The parties are unlikely to reach an agreement at the talks in Kyiv. Ukraine urgently needs Belarusian oil products due to the loss of Donetsk coal and reduced gas supplies from Russia. But it cannot buy them at old prices. Poroshenko will ask for lower prices of Belarusian petrol and diesel fuel in exchange for lobbying Lukashenka in Europe.

The export of oil products is the main source of revenues to the state budget. Lukashenka badly needs hard cash due to the collapse of the Belarusian financial pyramid scheme,” Zmitser Bandarenka said.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka said on December 19 that Petro Poroshenko invited him to Kyiv for a meeting. The president of Ukraine confirmed the information about the visit of the Belarusian dictator to Kyiv and noted the visit was “timely, important and symbolic”.