Between March and May, Belarusian authorities detained 38 railway workers. Since then, authorities have applied pressure to many Belarusian railway workers.
The Supreme Rada: Divide Between Ukraine and Belarus
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has attempted to strengthen its relationships with Western countries. Unfortunately, this has caused tension with Belarus, which has remained closely aligned with Russia.
One source of tension between the two countries is their history of double taxation. In 1994, Ukraine and Belarus signed a treaty to prevent tax evasion and double taxation of citizens.
The Supreme Rada Treaty is a document that was created to prevent tax evasion and double taxation of citizens between Ukraine and Belarus. However, in 2017, the Supreme Rada voted 304-0 in favor of terminating the treaty. This means that starting in 2018, Belarusians living in Ukraine will have to pay the regular 15% tax rather than the customary 10% levy. Additionally, Ukraine will not be required to exchange tax-related information with Belarus.
There are several reasons why the Supreme Rada terminated the treaty. Firstly, Ukraine is looking to further “cut off economic and financial ties” with Russia due to its involvement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. Secondly, the treaty’s termination will help boost Ukraine’s economy by encouraging foreign investment. Finally, some legislators argue that the treaty’s termination will help protect Ukrainian businesses from unfair competition from Belarusian companies.
Despite these arguments, many disagree with the termination of the treaty. Some believe it will increase tensions between Ukrainians and Belarusians, while others argue that it will negatively impact trade between the two countries. Furthermore, there are concerns that the termination of the treaty could lead to increased tax evasion and double taxation.
According to Ukraine’s Finance Ministry, terminating economic and financial ties with Belarus is part of a strategy to further “cut off economic and financial ties” with a co-belligerent in Russia’s full-scale war. However, it is still being determined what this will mean for the future of relations between Ukraine and Belarus.
The agreement between Kyiv and Minsk aimed at preventing tax evasion and double taxation of citizens has been terminated by Ukraine’s parliament. 304 Ukrainian legislators voted to end the treaty, which had been in effect since 1994.
According to Ukraine’s Finance Ministry, cutting off economic and financial ties with Belarus is part of a strategy to further “cut off economic and financial ties” with a co-belligerent in Russia’s full-scale war.
There is no clear consensus on whether or not terminating the double taxation treaty will have a negative impact on bilateral relations between Ukraine and Belarus. Some experts argue that the move could harm trade and investment between the two countries, while others maintain that it could help to further isolate Belarus from the West.
At this point, it is difficult to say definitively whether or not Belarus and Ukraine can trust each other in this situation.
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