"Belarus cannot be bought" - resistance to Putin's and Lukashenko's plans is growing
Created: 2022-12-21 05:21
By: Stephanie Munk
Putin paid his respects to Lukashenko in Minsk - it was about Belarus' role in the Ukraine war.
But Lukashenko has to fear resistance from his own people.
Minsk/Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has avoided traveling abroad since the Ukraine war.
A state visit by the head of the Kremlin to Belarus received all the more attention.
In Minsk, Putin met the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
"Belarus is not for sale": opposition members condemn meeting between Putin and Lukashenko
But Putin is not a welcome guest for all Belarusians.
The exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya strongly condemned the meeting.
The opposition activist wrote on Twitter: “Belarus cannot be bought.
Our independence cannot be bought.
The dictator Lukashenko cannot make agreements on behalf of our people – he only represents himself. And he will not save his own skin.”
Putin visits Lukashenko: will Belarus join the Ukraine war?
As early as August 2022, Tichanovskaya had declared that she expected strong resistance from the Belarusian population if Lukashenko sent his soldiers to Russia's side in the Ukraine war.
“Our partisan movement will sabotage that.
Orders will be disobeyed.
Or the Belarusian soldiers will surrender there immediately," the politician told the dpa news agency at the time.
However, Lukashenko would do everything to keep Russia in power, she predicted from her exile in Lithuania.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, opposition politician from Belarus.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
Putin visits Lukashenko: speculation about Belarus' participation in the Ukraine war
Putin traveled to Belarus on Monday (December 19) for the first time since the Ukraine war.
It was speculated that he wanted to get Lukashenko to take part in the Ukraine war with his own troops.
Although Lukashenko has so far been considered an ally in the Ukraine war, he apparently wants to keep his own army out of the war.
However, he made Belarusian regions available as a staging area for Russian troops and lets Russia fly rocket attacks on Ukraine from Belarus.
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According to the Russia correspondent of the
Welt
news channel , Lukashenko definitely wants to leave it at that and not take part in the war with soldiers.
"He knows that there would be resistance from his population, who do not want this war," said Christoph Wanner in assessing the situation.
Lukashenko is trying everything to prevent Belarus from becoming militarily involved - and is currying favor with Putin.
"Lukashenko wanted to please Putin," was the correspondent's impression.
It was not for nothing that Lukashenko said at the press conference of the two rulers: "Russia can do without Belarus, but we can't do without Russia."
US analysts: Putin failed in his plans in Minsk
The US "Institute for the Study on War" also analyzed the meeting between Lukashenko and Putin - with the conclusion that Putin failed to involve Belarus in the Ukraine war.
Lukashenko had already had him rebuffed in November: "If we get involved in this conflict directly with the armed forces, with soldiers, we're not contributing anything, we're only making it worse," he said.
And added: "We don't interfere, we don't kill anyone, we don't send soldiers there because it's not necessary."
However, there are repeated signs that Lukashenko could involve his soldiers directly in the Ukraine war: in mid-October he announced the formation of a Belarusian-Russian troop alliance to protect the border with Ukraine.
Putin calls meeting with Lukashenko in Belarus 'very fruitful'
Putin himself described his talks with Lukashenko as "very fruitful".
Among other things, the two heads of state had agreed to continue military cooperation, as well as even closer economic cooperation.
There were price agreements in the energy sector, which Putin did not want to explain in more detail.
Resistance to a closer alliance between Russia and Belarus in the Ukraine war is growing.
© Konstantin Zavrazhin / dpa
According to Putin, both Moscow and Minsk successfully resisted Western sanctions pressure and attempts to isolate Russia and Belarus.
"We are coordinating our steps to minimize the impact of illegal restrictions on our economy," Putin said.
"And we do that quite convincingly and effectively."
(smu/dpa)
