EU needs Russia to survive – Lukashenko
The world is currently witnessing “the destruction of Europe,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the national parliament during his annual address on Friday. The Western half of the continent is losing its independence because states are turning into US satellites, he warned. Lukashenko believes that only uniting with Russia can stop the process.
“The policy of the European Union, both foreign and internal, has become totally subordinated to US interests,” Lukashenko outlined, as he accused Western European leaders of lacking the political will to make their nations truly independent in international affairs.
According to Lukashenko, the US has long pursued a policy of economic suppression against the EU. The emergence of the bloc's own competitive currency, the euro, has prompted the US to start “suffocating” its “subjects,” he stated. Washington is also using the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to “stall” Europe, the Belarusian president added.
The only way out for the EU is to join forces with Russia, Lukashenko said. “Europe can survive only together with us, primarily with Russia,” he told the lawmakers. “If Russia and Europe unite, it will be a powerhouse no one can beat.”
The statements were made as Russia unveiled its revised foreign policy concept. The document, which outlines the nation’s strategic priorities, calls the “anti-Russian policy” of the US a major threat to international peace. At the same time, Moscow maintains that it does not consider Western nations to be adversaries and IS ready for dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect.
The latest developments come amid the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in which the EU has followed the US in supporting Kiev with both military and financial aid while slapping Moscow with unprecedented sanctions.
The EU has also tried to refuse Russian oil and gas imports, which has negatively impacted some European nations that were previously heavily dependent on Russian energy imports, such as Germany. Nevertheless, the German government announced in January that the country would narrowly avoid a recession this year. However, credit ratings agency Fitch predicted earlier this month that the German economy will enter recession by late 2023.
