Shortly before meeting with Lavrov: Lukashenko's foreign minister died "suddenly".

Created: 2022-11-27 06:40

By: Magdalena Furthauer

Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makej has died.

In two days he should have met with his Russian counterpart Lavrov.

© IMAGO / ITAR-TASS / Maxim Blinov

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey has died at the age of 64.

In Minsk they speak of a "sudden death".

Minsk - Even during the Ukraine war, which has been going on since February, Belarus is considered one of Russia's closest allies.

Shortly before a meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov, his Belarusian counterpart, Vladimir Makej, died at the age of 64.

Close confidant of Lukashenko: Belarusian Foreign Minister Makej died

The state news agency Belta reported a "sudden death" on Saturday, without giving any further details.

Nothing was known in advance about any illness.

According to a spokesman for his ministry, Makej, who had been foreign minister in Belarus since 2012, died unexpectedly.

It is not known whether he died on Saturday or before.

Makej was considered one of the closest confidants of long-term ruler Alexander Lukashenko.

Before becoming a minister, he was head of the presidential administration.

At times, Makej was even traded as a possible successor to Lukashenko.

Belarus: Foreign Minister Makei died two days before meeting with Lavrov - cause of death unknown

There are already first expressions of condolence from Russia.

"We are shocked by the reports of the death of the Foreign Minister of Belarus," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

According to the Reuters news agency, he should have met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov next Monday.

A few days before his death, he also attended a summit of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Armenia.

Also present was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was exposed by his Armenian ally.

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Earlier this year, Makei 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.

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Belarus: Foreign Minister Makej dies - previously he supported Russia's war in Ukraine

In fact, the Kremlin was able to use Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine.

President Zelenskyj's government accuses Moscow, which probably had Japan as a target before the Ukraine war, of using Belarus as a logistical military base and continuing the attack on Ukraine from there.

Makej had previously tried to improve relations with Europe.

With the start of the war in Ukraine, which according to a US strategist has now reached phase IV, his rhetoric changed.

According to Reuters, he alleged earlier this year that the West itself had provoked the war.

Now Ukraine would have to take a step towards Russia and agree to any peace terms.

In the meantime, however, Moscow has had to face accusations of staging: Putin's soldier mothers are said to have been government-loyal officials in Russia shortly before Mother's Day on Sunday.

Death of Lukashenko's Foreign Minister: Opposition leader brands Makey as supporter of 'tyranny'

While mourning and expressions of condolences could be heard from Moscow and above all from Lavrov's foreign ministry, the Belarusian opposition leader does not join in the grief over the death of Lukashenko's foreign minister.

Instead, Svetlana Tichanovskaya finds drastic words on Twitter for the late Foreign Minister Makey.

"In 2020, Vladimir Makei betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny," she said.

Makej has long campaigned for an improvement in his country's relations with the West and has also criticized its ally, Russia.

However, he backed away from this course after mass popular protests against the presidential election in 2020.

He described the protests as a campaign by Western agents.

Since then he has fallen out of favor with the opposition, and apparently his sudden death cannot change that.