MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has given a response to complaints about Belarusian diesel fuel being used for military purposes in Ukraine. The head of state gave the response during a meeting held on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Belarusian diplomatic service on 18 January, BelTA has learned. Former Belarusian ministers of foreign affairs took part in the meeting.
Alexander Lukashenko said: “We've been recently hearing complaints that [Ukrainian] tanks use our diesel fuel. I gave instructions to find out what diesel fuel is used over there. I am told – I've just read the brief for the second time – that Russian diesel fuel is used after all. And Russians keep selling more and more gasoline and diesel fuel to Ukraine. How come? Are we at war with Ukraine or is Russia? And who fuels these tanks? Our sales are dropping. We are being ejected from the Ukrainian market. Not only trade in oil products. The same applies to fertilizers and other goods. Competition is at play. And we get the blame.”
Alexander Lukashenko also responded to complaints about Belarus helping export Ukrainian embargoed goods. He made it clear that the figures are totally insignificant and drew attention to collusion of Ukrainian and Russian suppliers under the protection of the Russian customs service and other agencies. “Belarusians stay away from it. If Belarusians are needed after all, then only as a source of directions on how to cross Belarus,” noted Alexander Lukashenko.
Apart from that, Alexander Lukashenko said he was getting regular reports about a massive flow of weapons from Ukraine. “Russians sometimes reproach us for not plugging holes in the border but the most dreadful thing is that the weapons are smuggled across the Russian border [with Ukraine] and then via the open Belarusian-Russian border to Belarus,” said the head of state. “It is understandable that someone needs things to be like that. No one would risk it without a good reason. Someone needs these weapons here. And we've already seen who needed them.”
