Babich: Lukashenka Has $ 4-4.5 Billion Support From Russia Annually And Wants Another $ 3-4 Billion

The Russian Ambassador to Belarus spoke about the problematic issues in the Belarusian-Russian relations.

Russian Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich commented to TASS on the problematic issues in the Belarusian-Russian relations. He did not explain what Moscow is proposing to Minsk in the current situation.

Babich noted that “the amount of Russian Federation's consolidated support to the economy of the Republic of Belarus is $ 4–4.5 billion annually.”

If Russia had accepted the Belarusian proposals that envisage a reduction in the price of gas to the level of Smolensk, a refund on the tax maneuver, equal conditions for supporting industry, then it would make another 3-4 billion dollars of support for the Belarusian economy. But the Russian side cannot agree to this, since “within the framework of the existing legal field,” this will be “very doubtful and economically unreasonable,” Mikhail Babich said.

The Russian ambassador believes that “it is necessary to decide which way to go, and formulate proposals together,” to create a joint plan. This will be discussed during the meeting of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin on December 25.