Putin backs unification of Russia with Belarus
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 1 August 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Putin backs unification of Russia with Belarus, 1 August 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4a2918c.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 01, 2011
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka (right) meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Minsk in March.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said he supports calls for Russia to merge with its western neighbor, Belarus.
"This is possible and very desirable," Putin said when asked at a pro-Kremlin youth camp on Lake Seliger if Russia and Belarus could merge into one entity.
"It depends completely on the will of the Belarusian people," he added.
Belarus has been an independent state since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Russia and Belarus already have open borders, with their citizens able to travel freely and seek employment in either country.
Belarus is mired in its worst financial crisis since independence, and authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is under pressure to sell some of its most prized economic assets to Russians in exchange for a bailout.
compiled from agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
