“He also considers Belarus’s independence a misunderstanding.” Experts on Putin’s speech denying the existence of sovereign Ukraine

In his address to citizens on the recognition of the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR, Vladimir Putin pointed (http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/speeches/67828) to the alleged injustice of the formation of an independent Ukraine.

There was a negative assessment of the transfer to the union republics of territories “with the population of historical Russia”.

Putin called the formation of statehood among the post-Soviet republics “generous gifts”.

He assessed his own decision to recognise the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR as a demonstration to Ukraine of what “real decommunisation” means.

Although during the hour-long speech the Russian president did not speak about Belarus, one might have the impression that the Kremlin’s position toward our country is the same: the formation of an independent state is a historical mistake, and Russia has the right to influence Minsk’s fate.

Experts explain whether this is so and what such an attitude by an influential neighbour means for Belarus.
— This speech is very alarming in the sense that it openly denies Ukraine’s right to its statehood (or at least asserts that it is an artificial formation).

That is, we see an extremely nationalist, imperial discourse being broadcast in relation to a neighbouring state.

It is entirely logical to assume that Putin could use exactly the same arguments in relation to Belarus or Kazakhstan, says political scientist and director of the Political Sphere Institute Andrei Kazakevich.

The expert believes that one should not equate Vladimir Putin’s expressed wishes and ideas with Russian foreign policy.

But in themselves, such aspirations in the Kremlin create potential threats to the sovereignty and independence of all states that border Russia.
— It can be stated with confidence that the Russian leadership has an aspiration to effectively establish control over all territories in the post-Soviet space.

I think that ideologically, for Putin and the political elite close to him, Belarus is an artificial formation that should be integrated as deeply as possible with Russia.

But it is clear that this kind of reasoning is constrained by reality.

After all, the state exists, it is recognised by the international community, it has its own authorities and people with a non-Russian identity.

Breaking this will be quite difficult, Andrei Kazakevich continues.

The interviewee emphasises that Moscow cannot obtain everything it wants.
— Even in this speech, Putin questions Ukraine’s right to be an independent state, but in fact everything ends not with him declaring war on it, but with recognising the LPR and DPR, which de facto were already controlled by Russia.

As a result, big statements are reduced to a small acquisition.

The same may happen with other foreign-policy initiatives by Moscow.

Any sharp actions by the Kremlin connected with violating the status quo and formal sovereignty will provoke countermeasures that may significantly complicate Russia’s development.

Potential sanctions may deepen its foreign-policy isolation, including in the post-Soviet space, the expert believes.

Read in full: https://news.zerkalo.io/economics/10379.html?c (https://news.zerkalo.io/economics/10379.html?c)