AKIPRESS.COM - President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the Republic of Crimea is de facto part of Russia and added that no one urged him to recognize or not to recognize Crimean referendum, ITAR-TASS reported on March 23.

“As for recognition or not recognition, Crimea is part of Russia today. You can recognize or not to recognize this, but this will not change anything,” the President told reporters in Minsk on Sunday.

He also finds statements by Ukrainian politicians over possible withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) short-sighted and urged Ukraine to stay in the CIS. “I believe that those who influence Ukrainian policy will not take these steps,” Lukashenko told reporters in the Belarusian capital on Sunday.

The Belarusian president noted that he would propose “to several Ukrainian politicians to discuss this problem.” “I ask not to make thoughtless steps,” he said. “Ukraine’s withdrawal from the CIS will be a strong blow to the CIS, but not lethal one.”

Lukashenko negatively assessed events in Ukraine, but underlined that Belarus is ready to establish relations with the Ukrainian leadership. Ukrainian events can be named “a revolutionary coup, unconstitutional power overthrow,” he noted, adding that “this is not normal when legitimate authorities are toppled this way.”

He believes that today “only politicians divide Ukraine into western and eastern”, and named the language problem as one of reasons for current tense situation.