Valery Karbalevich

So what Lukashenko and Putin spoke for eight and a half hours in Sochi?

As often happens, Lukashenko after a short time after another meeting with Vladimir Putin talks to the public about the content and outcome of the negotiations. At the same time for such revelations is characterized by its own interpretation of the outcome of negotiations, which is often the opposite to the Russian side.

That’s what happened this time. Exactly a week after the summit in Sochi Lukashenko told about it, speaking at a meeting with the staff of the Svetlogorsk pulp and cardboard plant. As usual, Lukashenka was very controversial.

Each time A. Lukashenka is becoming more openly reveals the plans of the Kremlin on the accession of Belarus to the Russian Federation. He repeatedly returned to this theme: “allusion to the fact that it is necessary to have one country. And how can you have one country with Russia? You probably hear: “Let’s turn on the Belarus part of Russia”… Someone out there would like to try the country — then will be the same price… Already saying: join Russia, then we will deliver the parts, then there will be other prices of oil and gas… Why drive horses, to rot, to turn on us?” Similarly, according to the Belarusian leader, “plavuchesti” and the Russian media: “They understand integration as the absorption of Belarus by Russia. This is not integration and incorporation”.

In this situation, the Belarusian leadership it would be logical to abandon the game in the “deepening integration”. The political scientist Alexander Klaskouski asks the natural question: “Why play this Russian roulette?” However, contrary to their own statements, A. Lukashenko said: “We will continue to work on integration. There is nothing wrong”.

Interesting plot twists in the question of oil supplies. I will remind, following the results of negotiations in Sochi, the Deputy head of the presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak said that the Russian leadership will not provide any discounts ally, have to agree with Russian oil companies on commercial terms.

A version of the outcome of the Sochi agreements, Lukashenka, is quite different: “On oil, as we requested, — the world price without any premiums”. That is, we must understand that the Belarusian side asked, and Russia agreed to sell oil without premiums. Therefore, Lukashenka categorically stated that these awards will not pay.

But here came the second half of February and the contracts for the supply of oil (not counting the companies of Mikhail Gutseriev).

Moreover, Lukashenko warned that if we fail to agree on an amicable, Belarus will start to pick up oil from the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian raw material is transited to Europe. “If you do not deliver in February, up 2 million tons to reach”, — he threatened. This is like a Declaration of war. But then it turns out that each party understood the agreement in Sochi on his own.

No less interesting looks and the story with the gas. February 14 the head of “Gazprom” Alexey Miller and the Ambassador of Belarus in Russia, with the authority of Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko, solemnly signed a Protocol on the formation of prices for supply of natural gas to Belarus in 2020. It would seem, thank God, at least on the gas issue have agreed.

But it soon appeared that all not so. On the same day, February 14, in Svetlogorsk Alexander Lukashenko said: “We agreed on the price of gas — $127. But we won’t pay “Beltransgaz” $18 dollars per thousand cubic meters. In and out, as last year, $111 dollars.”

But Lukashenko immediately denied the representative of “Gazprom transgaz Belarus” — “daughters” “Gazprom”. According to his version, the contract price at the border with Belarus is $127 dollars per 1 thousand cubic meters Plus $19 dollars per thousand cubic meters — allowance to the company for delivery of gas to consumers.

Then what was signed by Alexei Miller and Vladimir Semashko?

The same contradictory story evolves and the issue of nuclear power plants. Version A. Lukashenko, the situation looks like this: “You know what the Russians had in 2018 to Commission the first unit in 2019 — the second. But disrupted the timing, and there are huge penalties… You broke the terms, so let’s agree that the interest on the loan will reduce to the level as you build in Hungary, in Vietnam (about 3%). We will not impose sanctions, and that’s the fact and have to. And credit, since you broke the terms, we will start to repay in two years, and five. Logical? Logical. Uncomfortable, uncomfortable, but decided that in this respect, we will agree: there is no other way”. A. Lukashenko emphasized that rejection on the proposal of the Russian side was not.

Great. At least one question strongly agreed.

But as it is not so. February 11, four days after Sochi, a Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said that Moscow did not support the proposal of Minsk: “at the same time lengthen the period of the loan and reduce the interest rate not consistent with financial theory, so you need to compromise in another plane”.

All this would be funny if it were not so sad. So what you said eight and a half hours in Sochi? Like people of sound mind and memory, experienced statesmen, after long discussions, agreed, shook hands, went home. And now it turns out that both parties understand the agreement completely opposite way! How can this be?

Worldwide, the results of the intergovernmental talks clearly recorded in the relevant documents, protocols, treaties, agreements. There are sanctions for noncompliance. It’s so elementary.

But in the Belarusian-Russian relations is different. This is called integration fraternally, ie not universally accepted rules and “concepts”. And now Lukashenko recalled that when Russia sold Beltransgaz in 2011, then Vladimir Putin promised in five years to supply gas to Belarus at Russian domestic prices. Why this promise was not recorded in the document?

Another thing is that here Alexander Lukashenko, stating their version of the outcome of negotiations, seeks to justify to the Belarusian society for the failure in the Russian direction. Say, it’s not my fault that the Belarusians will be worse, it’s insidious Russian brothers, we planted a pig. A try is scored. But oil and gas it is no substitute.

Valery Karbalevich, “Free news”