Lukashenka's Crimean Days

The Belarusian dictator is at Pushilin's level.

The meeting between Aliaksandr Lukashenka and the head of the occupation administration of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin was not only widely covered in the media, but also became the reason for the statement of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that "this meeting is yet another confirmation that the position of the current Belarusian government regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is dictated exclusively by the Kremlin's instructions and has nothing to do with either international law or the international obligations of the Republic of Belarus." And they addressed the Belarusian people directly, calling on citizens of the neighboring country to realize that “against the background of repeated contacts between Belarusian officials and Russian puppets from our temporarily occupied territories, Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s constant statements about his “warm feelings” for the “brotherly Ukrainian people” sound like a mockery, and his practical actions destroy the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect on which relations between the Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples were built.” However, the “Days of the Republic of Crimea” in Belarus, which are taking place precisely these days, are much less noticeable than the official meetings at Lukashenka’s residence. Meanwhile, this event is designed for the very population that official Kyiv is appealing to. Concerts in Vitebsk, an exhibition in Minsk, a meeting of businessmen in Brest... It seems that in such a simple “Soviet” way Belarusians are being accustomed to the Russian “normality” of Crimea. And holding the "days" of the occupied Ukrainian region in Belarus is another step by Lukashenka towards Putin. A step that demonstrates that Lukashenka has no room to maneuver after the suppression of popular protests against the falsification of the 2020 presidential election results.

In the past, the Belarusian ruler tried to maneuver between Russia and its neighbors, defending his right as a "mediator" in the post-Soviet space. After the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, Lukashenka not only did not break off relations with then-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, but also gave him the opportunity to publicize Tbilisi's position on Belarusian state television.

In 2014, he met with the acting President of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov - despite the fact that the Kremlin calls the new Ukrainian leadership a "junta". And the negotiations on ending the war in Donbass took place in Minsk, not only Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin, but also Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande arrived in the Belarusian capital – this was the crowning achievement of Lukashenka’s diplomatic successes. And, of course, against this background, there could be no talk of any “days of the Republic of Crimea”.

But, apparently, when Lukashenka realized that his only chance to retain power was to rely on Moscow's support, since he no longer had the support of his own people, he lost the ability to refuse Putin. And Russia is slowly but surely leading Lukashenka to recognize its ideas about the "new world order" and the trampling of international law.

Incidentally, it all started with Georgia, when Lukashenka visited Abkhazia, which is effectively controlled by Moscow, and then received the president of the self-proclaimed republic, Aslan Bzhania, in Minsk. But even then, the Belarusian dictator tried to convince the world that this was a private meeting, and not negotiations with the leader of a sovereign country. The then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the self-proclaimed republic, Inal Ardzinba, however, spoke about the actual "economic recognition" of Abkhazia by Belarus.

However, no matter what Lukashenka says about his meeting with Bzhania, the meeting with Pushilin is an only protocol contact. And this is not even a legitimization of Pushilin, but, I am sure, an acknowledgement of the unpleasant fact that the level of Lukashenka's independence is quite comparable to the level of independence of his guest from the so-called DPR.

All that remains is to hold the "Days of the Republic of Crimea" to finally prove this.

Vitaly Portnikov, Krym.Realii

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