The self-proclaimed dictator of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is trying not to lose relations with the aggressor country of russia and at the same time improve relations with the West, as he plans to stay in power for a seventh term.
This was reported by Reuters on Wednesday, January 22.
If the US President manages to quickly end russia's war against Ukraine, Lukashenko will try to achieve the lifting of sanctions and soften relations with Europe and the United States. The Belarusian dictator has been periodically "flirting" with the West for decades to prevent Belarus from becoming completely dependent on russia and preventing russia from completely absorbing Belarus, Reuters writes. In addition, Lukashenko wants to stay in power for the seventh time against the backdrop of the prospect of ending russia's war against Ukraine.
“If the war ends, there will be some windows of opportunity for Lukashenko, provided he is willing to continue this tactic of balancing between russia and the West,” said Tetiana Chulitska, a Belarusian scholar at Vilnius University in Lithuania.
The Belarusian opposition saw the first signs of Lukashenko’s easing of repression in a decree he himself called a “humanitarian pardon” for 250 people serving prison sentences for alleged extremist activities. He also granted limited access to prison to two of the most prominent opposition figures, Maria Kalesnikova and Viktor Babariko, who had been isolated without any contact with the outside world for almost two years.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on January 6, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the aggressor country of russia, Lukashenko apologized for the missiles fired from his country’s territory.
On October 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who accepted the russian dictator's invitation to attend the BRICS summit, was spotted hugging Lukashenko.
On October 4, Lukashenko said that his country would supposedly help Ukraine recover after the end of the war against the aggressor country of russia.
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