Ukraine Must Stop Trading With Lukashenka Regime

Sanctions against this criminal will really change the situation in Belarus.

Natallia Radina, editor-in-chief of the Charter97.org website, calls on the Ukrainian authorities to impose an embargo on trade with the Lukashenka regime, which has provided the territory of Belarus for the Russian aggression. The Belarusian journalist writes about it on Facebook:

- It has recently come to light that Ukraine is imposing a complete embargo on trade with Russia. According to Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko, the ban on Russian imports will block $6 billion worth of foreign exchange earnings to Russia every year.

A correct and logical decision amid the war. However, it is surprising that while imposing a trade embargo against Russia, the Ukrainian side has made no mention of the economic relations with the Kremlin's main political and military ally - the Lukashenka regime.

Why is not a word said about trade and economic relations with Belarus, from the territory of which Ukrainian cities have been bombed? After all, it is logical to impose an embargo against two countries - Russia and Belarus - at once, as the European Union, the USA, Great Britain, Japan and Australia have done. The Western countries rightly consider the Lukashenka Belarus to be a participant in the aggression against Ukraine and impose economic sanctions against it along with the Putin Russia.

Why is the absence of similar sanctions against Belarus dangerous? Because the Ukrainian embargo would be holey.

I remember well how in 2014, after Russia's occupation of Crimea and seizure of part of Donbass, dictatorial Belarus, at the behest of the Ukrainian side as well, became not only a negotiating platform for Ukraine, but turned into a real smuggling hub, thanks to which sanctions against Russia were circumvented by every Tom, Dick and Harry. This included Ukraine, which used to receive Russian energy resources and industrial products from Belarus. And Russia at that time felt virtually no impact from economic restrictions, because imported commodities were freely delivered to its market via the territory of the union Belarus.

Today we can see what it led to in Mariupol, Volnovakha, Bucha, Borodyanka and Kharkiv.

I do hope that the wave of the just Ukrainian anger towards Putin's puppet Lukashenka will not drown in the greed of individual politicians and businessmen, who, under cover of the economic interests of the country, will stuff their pockets on trade with the aggressors.

What else is not clear about Lukashenka after he voluntarily provided the country's infrastructure for Russian missiles, tanks and aviation; after his statements about "Ukraine's intention to be the first to attack Belarus" and revelations about the "British special operation in Bucha"?

Sanctions against this criminal can really change the situation in Belarus: the majority of its enterprises are now experiencing huge difficulties with supplies of components, raw materials and sales of products. In fact, a general strike is beginning in the country which may bring long-awaited changes.

Do not stop the dictatorship from falling, because the time has already proved what we have been saying for many years: only free and democratic Belarus can be a guarantor of Ukraine's security.

Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!

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