Energy & Environment

NATOSource

September 1, 2010

Lukashenko says Moscow ‘thugs’ may be behind embassy attack

By RIA Novosti

Lukashenko says Moscow ‘thugs’ may be behind embassy attack

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

From RIA Novosti: [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko told journalists on Wednesday that a theory about Moscow’s involvement in the incident was "interesting" and that police would investigate it.

"Most likely, they probably needed this incident. To demonstrate how bad Lukashenko is – why, he nearly carried out that "terrorist attack," as they put it, on his own. Thugs and scoundrels! There is nothing else I can say," the Belta state-run news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.

He accused Moscow of orchestrating media attacks on him, apparently referring to a series of documentaries recently shown on the Russian TV, which portray Belarus as a country with political repression, no media freedom and rigged elections, ruled by "Europe’s last dictator. …"

Relations between Russia and Belarus have been strained over a host of issues lately, including energy and the South Caucasus. Earlier in August the Kremlin accused Lukashenko of failing to honor a promise to follow Russia’s lead in recognizing the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  (photo: Sergei Guneev/RIA Novosti)

Image: ria%209%201%2010%20Alexander%20Lukashenko.jpg