Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has said the future of his country can no longer depend on Russia, a day after talks between the once close ex-Soviet allies ended in acrimony. Lukashenko said the days of Minsk "bowing down" to Moscow were over, in an address to cabinet colleagues after Russia refused to hand over a final $500m instalment of a $2bn loan. Lukashenko, said: "It's not working with Russia. There's no need to bow down, to whine and cry. "We have to find our own happiness in another part of the planet." Alexei Kudrin, Russia's foreign minister, on Thursday described Belarus' planned economy and stiff control of its currency as a "meaningless policy" and said the country was taking a "parasitic" attitude towards Russia.
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has said the future of his country can no longer depend on Russia, a day after talks between the once close ex-Soviet allies ended in acrimony.
Lukashenko said the days of Minsk "bowing down" to Moscow were over, in an address to cabinet colleagues after Russia refused to hand over a final $500m instalment of a $2bn loan.
Lukashenko, said: "It's not working with Russia. There's no need to bow down, to whine and cry.
"We have to find our own happiness in another part of the planet."
Alexei Kudrin, Russia's foreign minister, on Thursday described Belarus' planned economy and stiff control of its currency as a "meaningless policy" and said the country was taking a "parasitic" attitude towards Russia.
