Stanislav Shushkevich: USSR was destroyed “to avoid freezing“

Today, December 8, is the twentieth anniversary of the historic meeting in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha of the leaders of three Slavic countries - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

There it was signed an agreement on the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which in the subsequent ratification by the parliaments of former Soviet republics meant the termination of existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Chairman of the Supreme Council Stanislav Shushkevich represented Belarus at a meeting in the residence Viskuli. In an interview with BelaPAN, he recalls the circumstances of that December day in 1991, debunks the myths which exist around the meeting, and doesn't hide: he is proud that he put signature on a document, which ascertains withdrawal from the world political map of the Soviet empire.

When asked whether the participants knew, the declaration would be signed there, the politician answers strongly negative: "We - Fokin, Kravchuk, Kebich and I gathered to beg Russia to supply us hydrocarbons in the winter of 1991/1992 not on market conditions, because we couldn't met them. This was our goal - to avoid freezing".