Shevchenko has seen enough of the “wrong” Belarus and is fascinated by the “outstanding president” Lukashenko
Russian publicist Maxim Shevchenko, close to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, sings praises to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
On the Independence Day of Belarus on July 4, the journalist found himself in Minsk and was assured that “absolutely by accident” he ran into Lukashenko at the celebrations, told the cameras how “Old Man” was supported in Russia and asked for an interview.
“Obviously he listens to Echo and watches YouTube channels,” Shevchenko explained the “accidental” meeting on the air of the liberal radio station Echo of Moscow.
However, political scientist Alexei Dzermant, close to the Belarusian president, saw in the visit of the Russian television journalist some secret positive signs from “one of the Kremlin towers.”
“If we consider Maxim Shevchenko’s visit to Minsk in the same context as the meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with German Gref, then this is a good sign. Obviously, there is now an awareness in different “towers”, both in Moscow and Minsk, that we cannot allow each other to “lose,” Dzermant wrote in his telegram channel.
So far, the result of the meeting was that Shevchenko, on the air of a liberal Russian radio station, called Lukashenko “an outstanding politician of our time” and spoke about “strong Belarusian villages”, where villagers earn 20-50 thousand a month.
“Believe me, in Russia it’s only for gentlemen. And here it is for the people. I haven't seen the gentlemen here at all. Lukashenko formed a national state. Belarus did not become the predatory prey of transnational and neo-imperialist capital, as Ukraine and Russia became,” argues Shevchenko.
He also praised “high-quality Belarusian products” and was delighted to be able to fly from Minsk to Kyiv and Tbilisi.
However, neither the presenter nor the listeners of the liberal “Echo” were imbued with his enthusiasm. And the very next day, a guest on another program, Belarusian political scientist Alexander Klaskovsky, suggested that Shevchenko was shown “Potemkin villages.”
“There is such a joke. A Belarusian sits and cries in front of the TV: “I want to live in a Belarus like they show.” I suspect that Mr. Shevchenko was also shown some Potemkin villages. Before Lukashenko arrives, everything is washed and cleaned. There are relatively exemplary islands, but against the backdrop of general depression. I think the picture he saw is far from objective. I ride a bicycle. Even in the vicinity of Minsk there is far from prosperity,” Klaskovsky concluded.
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