Natallia Radzina: Lukashenko Urgently Needed Money

The sanctions forced the dictator to release 123 political prisoners.

Editor-in-chief of the Charter97.org website Natallia Radzina on the air of Ukrainian Radio NV commented on the release of 123 political prisoners released by Lukashenko after talks with the US delegation on December 13. The journalist is sure that only pressure can make the dictator make concessions:

- Lukashenko went for the release of political prisoners because he badly needs the removal of economic sanctions from Belarusian enterprises, particularly Belaruskali. This once again proves the rule that dictators understand only force, and through economic pressure it is possible to force them to make concessions, including the release of political prisoners.

The editor-in-chief of the Charter97.org website claims that the United States is putting pressure on Europe to lift sanctions against the Belarusian regime:

- Pressure is already underway. According to my information, somewhere since the summer of this year, as soon as the exchange of political prisoners for the lifting of sanctions began, when the first batch arrived in Lithuania together with Sergei Tikhanovsky. Then came the release of political prisoners in October this year. And now the largest group of political prisoners was released on December 13. But so far, as far as I can see, this US pressure on Europe does not yield results, because for the European Union, lifting sanctions from both Lukashenko's and Putin's regimes is related solely to the issue of security.

With the background of hybrid attacks coming from the territory of Belarus against Lithuania, as well as attacks against Poland, and the constant storming of the borders by migrants from the East, it is foolish to lift sanctions on Belarusian potassium. Neither Poles nor Lithuanians are ready to do that at present.

The United States is not much interested in the issue of security. They do not know what it is like to be in the neighborhood of the Belarusian dictatorship, which is absolutely dependent on the Kremlin and is Putin's accomplice in the war against Ukraine. Therefore, the US can lift sanctions, but whether the Europeans will do so, I am not sure.

While the Americans are lifting sanctions, partially and dosed, I think it is justified. People should be released. Now, when political prisoners are released, we are sincerely happy about it, realizing that it has no effect on the change of the political climate in Belarus. Pay attention to the fact that people are deported. Previously, prisoners of conscience were released from prisons, including under the pressure of Western sanctions, and had the right to stay in Belarus, even to continue some kind of social and political activity.

Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, who was released this Saturday, was previously released in 2015 and continued to work at the human rights center "Viasna." Now the human rights center operates out of Vilnius, and Bialiatski was deported to Lithuania. Today it is impossible to work neither human rights, nor any political organizations, nor independent media in Belarus. Therefore, we understand perfectly well that this is just a humanitarian track, saving lives. But in general, if we are honest, new sanctions should be imposed against Lukashenko for these deportations, because this is a violation of international law.

Natallia Radzina believes that today the real ally of Ukraine and free Belarus is Europe:

- I no longer believe in any decisive action on the part of the United States. I don't believe that Donald Trump's administration will help Ukraine or Belarus in any way. I see that these people are not interested in our region at all. They are not at all interested in how free, democratic and independent our states are. And the only allies we can rely on today are the Europeans.

The editor-in-chief of Charter97.org also suggested the principle by which Lukashenko releases political prisoners:

- I think that the regime agrees with the U.S. administration on certain names. Trump's representatives demand the release of the most famous political prisoners.

That is why Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, Viktor Babariko, Maria Kolesnikova and previously Sergei Tikhanovsky have also been released. Beyond that, it's hard to say. But, in any case, we are happy that there are among the released people, about whom we shouted, about whom we said that they were tortured, who really have a difficult health situation.

For example, opposition activist Viktoriya Kulsha was also released this time. Yelena Gnauk, who also had quite a difficult situation. It is very important not to concentrate only on famous people, but to constantly remind and call the names of prisoners of conscience, to tell about what is happening to them. In this way we can achieve their early release.

Natallia Radzina shared her impressions of the first press conference of political prisoners taken to Ukraine:

- We saw how cautious Viktor Babariko, Maria Kolesnikova were in their statements. They told very little about the conditions of detention. Viktor Babariko even said that he was beaten while unconscious, but "he is not sure that he was beaten". It is quite obvious that the man is simply afraid to tell what was happening to him. Why? Because his son is being held hostage, and he continues to be held in a high-security colony. And now he has been given two more years in prison. We should understand that after five years of imprisonment people came out and continue to be under serious pressure because they have hostages in Belarus.

We saw how cautious they were at the press conference. There was a lot of condemnation of what they said. Why? It was not said clearly and distinctly that "we are on the side of Ukraine" and "against Russia" by Viktor Babariko and Maria Kolesnikova. But it seems that this mistake has been corrected. Because I saw the news that the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky talked to them. And already in a conversation with the President, they assured that in this confrontation they are, of course, on the side of Ukraine. And this is already pleasing.

The editor-in-chief of Charter97.org urges Ukraine not to forget who it is dealing with when having conversations with the regime in Minsk:

- Lukashenko is Putin's puppet. You can agree on some tactical things, but strategically this man will always be against Ukraine and with his master Putin. And this should be clearly and clearly understood.

What can Ukraine do to help Belarus? In its negotiations with Europe, to say that today it is necessary to deal with the democratization of our country. Not to exclude it from the discourse on the future of our region, but to say that Belarus is not a part of Russia, it is Europe. And Europeans should fight not only for Ukraine, but also for free independent democratic Belarus.

Today, at least, it is necessary to help Belarusian independent media, which work for Belarus, to support human rights democratic organizations, which provide assistance to the politically repressed and refugees from Belarus, not to lift sanctions against Lukashenko's regime and to understand that Belarus is not part of Russia. It is necessary not to pull Lukashenko's regime away from Russia today, but to think about the European future of Belarus without the dictatorial regime. Because it's unreal to pull Lukashenko away from Putin.

At the end of the conversation, Natallia Radzina answered the question whether Putin can use the territory of Belarus for a new offensive against Ukraine:

- I think that next year hybrid attacks against the EU countries will continue. Against Poland, Lithuania, Latvia. Will Putin go on a further offensive in Ukraine? Everything will still depend on the negotiations with Trump. If they finally fail (and I think this will happen in the near future), Putin will go on the offensive. Including active use of the territory of Belarus. Both against Ukraine and against the countries of the European Union.

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