MINSK. Feb 22 (Interfax) - The Belarusian government understands Russia's decision to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and intends to act depending on the situation and based on its strategic allied relations with Russia, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Belarus has repeatedly warned of the danger of reckless behavior from the leaders and policymakers of a number of Western countries, who have preferred undisguised pressure and threats as tools to resolve their and international problems increasingly often in the past several years. They have replaced consideration for the interests of other parties involved in the process with unilateral restrictive measures, hybrid influence, and aggressive rhetoric virtually everywhere," it said.
"This has immediately resulted in rapidly growing tensions in the Eastern European region, as well as the degrading an international security system that has been built over decades. It has also resulted in the discrediting and nullifying of the reputations of such crucial sources of peace and security as the UN and the OSCE, and the devaluing of international treaties and agreements, as well as renouncing direct obligations under them. The guarantees that Belarus had under the Budapest Memorandum and that have been trampled down by the United Kingdom and the United States can serve as a vivid example of this," it said.
"In this situation, we accept Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics with respect and understanding," it said.