Russian political strategist Stanislav Belkovsky, speaking on the Ukraine 24 television channel, assessed Russian-Belarusian relations against the backdrop of mass protests against Alexander Lukashenko. In his view, Moscow wants to get rid of the intransigent Belarusian leader and is prepared to offer certain guarantees to that end.
“Putin does not trust Lukashenko and does not want to entrust him with any political future. The most the Russian leader can do is guarantee Lukashenko’s safety, as was the case with Viktor Yanukovych 6.5 years ago,” Belkovsky said.
According to the political strategist, Russia is interested in a change of power in Belarus based on Moscow’s vital interests and those of Vladimir Putin personally. He named the adoption of a new Belarusian Constitution, parliamentary elections next year and a pro-Russian government in Minsk as the conditions under which this is possible.
“Under such conditions, Russia will fully support Lukashenko’s departure from power, and Putin is not going to save his regime as such — in my view, Lavrov spoke to Lukashenko about this,” Belkovsky added.
The publication also recalls that earlier the leader of the united Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, announced plans to increase pressure on Alexander Lukashenko through international sanctions and strikes at key Belarusian enterprises.
The context of events in Belarus provided in the material: on 9 August 2020, according to the Central Election Commission, 80.1% of voters voted for Lukashenko in the presidential election and 10.1% for Tikhanovskaya. After the results were announced, protests swept the country, and security forces detained participants and used force. The European Union did not recognise the election results and decided to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for falsification and violence. On 23 September, Lukashenko’s secret inauguration took place in Minsk, and on 20 October, at a meeting in a pre-trial detention centre, he promised that this would be his last presidential term.
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