Belarusian foreign minister dies “suddenly” – Russia is said to be planning to overthrow Lukashenko
Created: 11/27/2022, 4:34 p.m
By: Andreas Apetz
Belarusian Foreign Minister has passed away.
Now the suspicion arises that it could have been a Russian attack.
MOSCOW - Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makej has died unexpectedly at the age of 64.
The state news agency
Belta
announced on Saturday (November 26) the "sudden death" of the politician.
Further details were not given.
There is no information about an illness so far.
Russia immediately expressed its condolences: "We are shocked by the reports of the death of the Foreign Minister of Belarus," said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
For many, the Russian message of condolence is not particularly credible.
The many unanswered questions leave room for speculation and strengthen the suspicion that there is more to Makej's death than just a "sudden death".
After the death of the Belarusian foreign minister: is Russia planning to overthrow Lukashenko?
The first voices do not suspect the Belarusian foreign minister's death from natural causes, but rather a politically motivated assassination attempt.
According to Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, there are already rumors of the Belarusian politician being poisoned.
Vladimir Makej was considered a possible successor to incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko.
Makej was not under Russian control - and according to Gerashchenko this could have been his undoing.
On Twitter, Gerashenko described the alleged murder of Makej as a "pointer" to Lukashenko.
In the recent past, he had rejected active intervention in the Ukraine war as a "serious domestic political risk".
The US think tank Robert Institute for Global Threats had already reported on the Russian plan before Makej's death.
Sources from the Russian military leadership were cited there and spoke of a break in the relationship between Russia and Belarus.
President Vladimir Putin has had enough of Lukashenko and now wants to force the country to join the war.
There is talk of an assassination attempt or similar attempts at intimidation by the Russian military secret service in order to change Lukashenko's attitude towards a possible entry into the war.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, speaks to Belarusian soldiers at a military airfield.
(Archive photo) © XinHua/dpa
Foreign Minister of Belarus: Makej has long advocated opening up to the West
Whether Lukashenko is really the target of the Russian secret service is pure speculation.
After all, Lukashenko has always professed to be a close ally of Russia and allowed Russian forces to operate from Belarusian territory in the Ukraine war.
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Although Makej was one of Lukashenko's closest confidants, the foreign minister has so far been less cooperative with Russia.
Earlier this year, he dismissed fears that Russia could send troops to Ukraine from Belarus.
He declared in February that “not a single” Russian soldier would remain in Belarus after joint maneuvers with Russia on the border with Ukraine – a few weeks before the start of the Russian offensive.
In addition, Makej had worked to improve his country's relationship with the West and criticized its ally Russia.
After mass popular protests against the presidential election in 2020, he finally changed his mind and described the uprisings as a campaign by Western agents.
(aa with dpa/AFP)
