Lukashenko recognizes Turchynov as legitimate leader of Ukraine

Ukraine had no president after Viktor Yanukovych had left the
country, Lukashenko said in an interview with television station NTV,
extracts from which were published by the Belarusian media on Sunday.

“Consistent with the constitution, the Verkhovna Rada speaker
undertakes the presidential duties if the country does not have a
president. I think their country lost its president after Yanukovych’s
departure in the last ten days of March. Naturally, the constitution
says there must be a president and indicates who shall fulfill his
duties. So, in my opinion, Turchynov is legitimate and the Verkhovna
Rada is legitimate,” Lukashenko said.

Turchynov appointed by the Verkhovna Rada realizes that the change of
administration in Ukraine was “not constitutional”, Lukashenko noted.

“I think it was an illegal and unconstitutional revolt. In fact, it
was a power grab. Turchynov has an opinion about this situation, and I
have an opinion too. He realizes that the events were not
constitutional,” Lukashenko said.

He told NTV about the meeting with Turchynov he had had in Belarus.
“I told him [about my opinion] and asked what was going on in Ukraine. I
started asking questions, specifically who the Right Sector was, how
many of them were there and why that was happening. He honestly said
that such things were impermissible,” Lukashenko continued.

He said Turchynov volunteered to tell him what had happened in
Ukraine “in each particular minute and hour” and gave a truthful account
of the events. “I cannot say he talked me out of my opinion about many
things but certain moments were interesting,” Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader blamed the former Ukrainian administration for
what had happened. “They had practically nothing with which to respond
to such situations. Even if they had, the people who saw that breakdown,
that mess, the outrageous corruption and economic collapse, they were
fully disoriented,” he said.