Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is against Ukraine's federalization.
“I am categorically against the possibility that this situation can be unsettled. Moreover, I am categorically against any federations,” Lukashenko said in an interview on the Ukrainian TV program Shuster Live.
“What does it mean today to draw a line between western and eastern Ukraine? I’ve said already that this is a two-sided instrument, the piano: one specialist will play on the one side and another on the other side. And what will we have? In fact, a powerful and major state in the center of Europe will be destabilized,” he said.
“Where there is a mess, you know who will rush there,” Lukashenko said. “You know that all scam and trash, gunmen, thugs and others who like it when it’s hot and who’ like to get money on this will gather there. Can we, the Belarusians, say we don’t’ care? No. Can the Russians say they don’t care? No. Not to mention you, who live in Ukraine,” he said.
“This can’t be allowed on any circumstances. Ukraine needs to be preserved as a untied and integral state, as it is, and everything should be calmed down. It is impossible to hold any referendums on federalization in this turmoil and confusion. The country needs to be calmed down, the situation needs to be stabilized, and only then, if a question arises about referendums, about a federal state, confederation, a unitary state or something else, these issues should be addressed,” he said.
