
MOSCOW, 18 August (BelTA) – The phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko ahead of the Russian-U.S. summit in Alaska demonstrates that the Belarusian leader has international clout, Nikolai Bordyuzha, Chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Eurasian Information and Analytical Consortium, former CSTO secretary general, said during a press conference in Moscow on 18 August, BelTA learned.
“I believe many thoughtful leaders around the world are beginning to understand: a state cannot be endlessly subjected to sanctions and political pressure simply for having its own position and defending its sovereignty. The perfect example here is Belarus. Belarus has faced an enormous number of sanctions, no fewer than the Russian Federation. At one time, political analysts wrote that Belarus was the only country in the world with absolute sovereignty, where its leadership makes decisions solely in the interests of its people. And precisely for this, our Western counterparts, the European Union, have constantly tried to exert political and economic pressure on Belarus. I think Trump recognized the reality, that Belarus today is a thriving nation,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said.
“Today, there is not a single Russian who has visited Belarus and not admired it. It is a country with a strong, developed economy and excellent agriculture. In my view, Trump’s actions, including his attention to a small country like Belarus and its leader, speak volumes, first and foremost, of the leader’s authority, that he has international clout on par with the world’s largest nations. On the other hand, Trump also demonstrated attention to Russia’s key ally, thereby reaffirming his genuine interest in the Russian Federation and its partners. He does not rule out that this interest could evolve into productive cooperation. And if he has accepted an invitation to visit Belarus, this could mark the beginning of significant, positive economic and political collaboration between the United States, Belarus and Russia as Belarus’ ally,” Nikolai Bordyuzha emphasized.
“I believe many thoughtful leaders around the world are beginning to understand: a state cannot be endlessly subjected to sanctions and political pressure simply for having its own position and defending its sovereignty. The perfect example here is Belarus. Belarus has faced an enormous number of sanctions, no fewer than the Russian Federation. At one time, political analysts wrote that Belarus was the only country in the world with absolute sovereignty, where its leadership makes decisions solely in the interests of its people. And precisely for this, our Western counterparts, the European Union, have constantly tried to exert political and economic pressure on Belarus. I think Trump recognized the reality, that Belarus today is a thriving nation,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said.
“Today, there is not a single Russian who has visited Belarus and not admired it. It is a country with a strong, developed economy and excellent agriculture. In my view, Trump’s actions, including his attention to a small country like Belarus and its leader, speak volumes, first and foremost, of the leader’s authority, that he has international clout on par with the world’s largest nations. On the other hand, Trump also demonstrated attention to Russia’s key ally, thereby reaffirming his genuine interest in the Russian Federation and its partners. He does not rule out that this interest could evolve into productive cooperation. And if he has accepted an invitation to visit Belarus, this could mark the beginning of significant, positive economic and political collaboration between the United States, Belarus and Russia as Belarus’ ally,” Nikolai Bordyuzha emphasized.