Photo from UNIAN, Volodymyr Hontar

Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Belarus, Ihor Kyzym, believes that the rhetoric of the Belarusian authorities toward Ukraine does nothing good to bilateral relations.

According to the Ukrainian diplomat, the prospect of relations between Belarus and Ukraine will depend, first of all, on the further development of the internal situation in Belarus, as well as on the processes of deepening the integration of Belarus and Russia, TUT.BY reports.

"I'd like to make a reservation right away so that I'm not again accused of allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of your country. Deepening integration is the sovereign right of Belarus and the degree of integration depends only on Belarus. But we have our own understanding of the risks associated with this for Ukraine and it is our sovereign right to draw our own conclusions from this and take adequate actions," the ambassador said. 

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"Unfortunately, the unfriendly rhetoric toward Ukraine we've been hearing lately from the Belarusian authorities is another unfortunate trend," Kyzym added. "I'm not even talking about the fact that these statements are getting more and more personal, as, for example, it was in yesterday's commentary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry."

He noted that such rhetoric has been observed since the elections in Belarus.

"We have agreed to the point that Ukraine has already been called an "outpost of political provocation" against Belarus, a "booster of destructive forces" toward the toppling of government in your country and almost an organizer of protests in Belarus. I'd like to repeat once again that we are interested in an independent, sovereign, and friendly Belarus. And now I would recommend that all hotheads accusing the Ukrainian leadership of anything, and even more so making things personal, take a break and reflect on what they're saying. It's obvious that such rhetoric, unfortunately, does nothing good for the development of our bilateral relations. Therefore, I would advise such talking heads to think before saying anything," said Kyzym.

Belarus election: Reactions

Lukashenko has repeatedly claimed "foreign interference" in the election and external efforts to foment the protests. He spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin who had promised him comprehensive assistance upon request.

On August 27, Putin suggested sending Russian security forces to suppress protests in Belarus.

The European Union declared non-recognition of the Belarus election results and reached an agreement to impose sanctions against Belarusian officials in response to vote rigging and the use of violence against protesters.

On September 15, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a statement on Belarus. Ukrainian lawmakers said the presidential elections in that country were unfair. They condemned repression against protesters and vowed support for sanctions to be introduced by the European Union against Belarusian officials.

On September 14, Putin received Lukashenko in Russia's Sochi. During the meeting, Putin promised to lend US$1.5 billion to Belarus. After the meeting, the Kremlin announced they would recognize Lukashenko as the only legitimate president of Belarus.

On September 24, Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv does not recognize Alexandr Lukashenko a legitimate head of Belarus following the latter's inauguration.