Crimea is part of Russia: Belarusian president

Crimea crisis

MINSK - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarus accepts Crimea to be a de-facto part of Russia.

Lukashenko said no one is demanding that Belarus legally recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. "Crimea isn't an independent state. It's part of the Russian territory. One can recognize or not recognize that, it will change nothing," Lukashenko told reporters in Minsk on Sunday.

The Belarusian President believes Ukraine should stay one state and warns about the danger of its division into federal entities. "Ukraine should stay one country, an undivided country that is not a member of any blocs. If NATO lands in Ukraine tomorrow, it's categorically unacceptable to us," Lukashenko stressed.

Lukashenko also stated that Belarus will build a relationship with the new Ukrainian government after it is elected. He added that Belarus can't scrap its partnership with Ukraine, as their combined turnover of goods was $7 billion last year.

The Belarusian leader also believes that the West will not impose any serious sanctions on Russia for its policies on Ukraine.