Gryzlov Says He Sees No Differences Between Belarusians and Russians

Russian Ambassador to Belarus and Chairman of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party Boris Gryzlov said that Moscow and Minsk adhere to identical positions on bilateral and international issues and described Belarusians and Russians as “one people.”

According to him, it is “incorrect” to speak of differences between them, and the state policies of Russia and Belarus reflect the will of their peoples.

“Today we can say with confidence that Moscow and Minsk have identical positions on all issues of bilateral and international relations. The policies of our countries are an expression of the position of our peoples. I believe that Russians and Belarusians cannot be spoken of separately, in isolation from one another. In this sense, we are one people — we think alike, dream alike, hope alike, live similar lives, and lead similar ways of life. I do not consider it correct to draw a dividing line between our peoples and speak of differences as such,” he said in an interview with the party magazine Pervichka.

“Russia is a multinational country, a home including for Belarusians and hundreds of other peoples. In turn, a significant number of Russians live in Belarus. So how can one say that we differ in any way? The thesis ‘Two countries — one Fatherland’ best forms an understanding of our unity, based on shared historical roots, memory, religion, and long-term coexistence within common borders,” he added.

Gryzlov said that although Belarus “did not become Ukraine,” attempts at external influence on the country continue. In his statements, he repeatedly used formulations characteristic of Russian propaganda rhetoric, including references to “hybrid aggression by the West,” attempts to “distort shared history,” and “rabid nationalism.”

“Modern political processes, driven by the sovereign development of Russia and Belarus amid an escalating international environment, prompt us to value ever more highly the centuries-old civilizational unity of our countries. This is not only about a strategic political alliance, systemic integration, and mutually beneficial economic cooperation, but precisely about the deep foundation of our rapprochement, revealed in shared ethnic roots, common history, and linguistic and cultural kinship,” Gryzlov said.

“It is no secret that our enemies are nurturing similar plans against Russia, Belarus, and the Union State as a flagship integration project around which the Eurasian partnership — a new global center of power in the era of an emerging multipolar world — is crystallizing. In this context, it is critically important not to allow our ill-wishers to blur and distort the genuine facts of our shared history, thoroughly set out in scholarly works, which clearly and reliably show that the union of Russia and Belarus is determined not by temporary political considerations or momentary economic interests, but by the very essence of the relationship between our peoples and states,” he said.

Speaking about the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Gryzlov portrayed integration as a “natural process” and the result of “objective mutual attraction.”

“The creation of the Union State, whose 25th anniversary we marked at the end of 2024, is a natural process, the result of historically objective mutual attraction between two brotherly peoples, Russians and Belarusians. Our integration project has become successful precisely because it is a direct consequence of our unity, not an instrument for achieving it. This is important to remember,” the Russian diplomat said.