Alyaksandr Lukashenka was among the first who congratulated Vladimir Putin on his victory in the presidential election on March, 18.
Now they also have presidential terms in common: Lukashenka has been at the helm over 24 years; Putin has been ruling Russia for 18 years and a six-year term is ahead of him.
In Minsk’s opinion, the recent presidential election in Russia was free. On Monday Belarusian official Viktar Huminski, who headed the mission of CIS observers, said the process was legitimate, open and competitive; ballot stuffing was a minor detail. Alyaksandr Lukashenka sent a telegram to Putin saying he would be welcome in Minsk at the upcoming meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.
“Historical ties of friendship and mutual understanding between our nations will be a guarantee for the further expansion of the Belarusian-Russian strategic partnership,” the message reads. The Belarusian leader wished Vladimir Putin strong health, unflagging energy and every success for the benefit of the ‘brotherly people of Russia’.
A bit later, Lukashenka managed to get through to the new old president of Russia and congratulate him personally. They also talked about economic barriers and obstacles to the integration process within the Eurasian Economic Union. The Belarusian president might well have raised the issue of Kremlin’s ban on Belarusian milk and that of Russia’s domestic oil prices.
Lukashenka is not a fiery integrator of the former Soviet Union anymore, Belarusian political analyst Alyaksandr Klaskouski stresses.
“Now he realizes that this project [Union State] is rather pain in the neck than a source of profit. Over the past years, Moscow has been demonstrating great-power and imperial ambitions. In 2014, it annexed Crimea,” the expert adds.
Russian leaders need to present new victories to its citizens, in Belarus, the ‘Russian world’ does have its vocal supporters. Judging by Sunday’s report by Belsat TV, the majority of Russian citizens who came to polling stations in Belarus were Putin adherers. Four years ago, such ardent patriots of Russia helped military personnel and hybrid formations to take control of key facilities in Crimea.
Aside from a blitzkrieg threat, the fear is that Russia may absorb Belarus’ economic assets, but the situation is сontroversial. On the one hand, the Belarusian government has failed to share its export equally among Russia, the EU, China and the so-called Far Arc countries; and our dependence on the Russian market remains. However, Vladimir Putin no longer boasts of the successes of integration in the Eurasian Economic Union.
Moscow will not be bent on a new military gamble, Alyaksandr Klaskouski believes. Although the West will hardly fight for Belarus with lethal force, but if anything crops up, it might well sanction Russia to its collapse.
Belsat.eu, photo Stringer / Reuters / Forum
