{"id":11534,"date":"2023-02-21T11:47:44","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T08:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/lukasenka-presents-status-report-to-putin-trying-to-sit-on-two-chairs\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"lukasenka-presents-status-report-to-putin-trying-to-sit-on-two-chairs","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11534\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka presents status report to Putin, trying to sit on two chairs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka seems to consider changing his role. At a news conference for foreign journalists last week, he cast himself as Russia\u2019s military ally and simultaneously attempted to pass himself off as a peace broker.<\/span><\/b>\n<\/p>\n

New peace proposals<\/h2>\n

\n\t Although \u0141uka\u0161enka reiterated Minsk\u2019s commitment to the military alliance with Russia at the news conference on February 16, he cast himself as a peacemaker and a donor of stability, a label that he extensively exploited in 2014-19 to wring concessions out of the West.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t In the Belarusian leader\u2019s view, the West, Washington in the first place, does not want peace and seeks to drag Belarus into the war, while Minsk tries to avoid it the best it can. He suggested that Minsk should host a meeting of the US, Russian and Ukrainian presidents.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t However, his proposal is unlikely to be taken seriously now that his regime provides territory, infrastructure and military airfields for Russian attacks on Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He appealed only to one side \u2013 Ukraine and the West \u2013 to end hostilities. He does not dare to make the same proposal to Russia.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t His peace proposals expose his lack of confidence despite ostentatious assertiveness. There is a huge gap between the image he created for himself as an experienced global-scale politician, and his international pariah status. His rare news conference for foreign journalists was an attempt to cover up his weaknesses and frustrations.\n<\/p>\n

Hungarian foreign minister\u2019s visit<\/h2>\n

\n\t P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, the Hungarian foreign minister, visited Minsk on February 13 in a new sign of differences among European Union countries over the bloc\u2019s policy towards Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t His visit came amid a new spike in tensions between Belarus and Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Poland has closed border checkpoints in an apparent response to a lengthy prison sentence for a Polish minority leader in Belarus. Vilnius has pulled out of a border traffic agreement and closed one rail border crossing, while Prague has announced its decision to downgrade its diplomatic presence in Minsk by not sending a new ambassador.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t On the other hand, the EU countries have failed to agree on new sanctions against the \u0141uka\u0161enka regime with some voices calling for easing restrictions on potash exports from Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3\u2019s visit seemed to be just a manifestation of Hungary\u2019s defiance of the EU rather than an attempt by the EU to put out fellers for negotiations with the Belarusian regime.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t After the start of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the Hungarian foreign minister has met with his Russian counterpart a couple of times and voiced his opposition to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 noted that he would be criticized for the visit \u201cbut our position is clear: channels of communication should be open.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He was not reported to have a meeting with \u0141uka\u0161enka, who usually receives all visiting foreign ministers. Since the EU does not recognize Belarus\u2019 authoritarian ruler as president, the Hungarian foreign minister decided not to break the EU ban on top-level contacts.\n<\/p>\n

Meeting with Putin<\/h2>\n

\n\t What \u0141uka\u0161enka said before the TV cameras at the start of his meeting with Vladimir Putin near Moscow on February 17 looked like a status report to the boss.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cAll we agreed with you at one time, quite recently, three months ago, on defense and security, has been 100 percent completed by the Belarusian side. We\u2019ve done even more than that,\u201d he told the Russian leader.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He accounted for the use of Russian import substitution loans and performance under Russian defense orders. He also suggested that Belarus should set up a plant to assemble Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack planes.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Authorities have not disclosed any details of the substance of the conversations that were held without staff members being present.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Interestingly, Minsk postponed the news conference for foreign journalists, originally scheduled for February 14. Probably, \u0141uka\u0161enka was just waiting for his meeting with Putin to clarify Russia\u2019s plans for the war.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t One month ago in Minsk, he asked staff members to leave the conference room to discuss something with the Russian foreign minister face to face.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Belarusian ruler does not seem to know much about Moscow\u2019s plans. The Kremlin has recently appointed a new commander to its armed forces in Ukraine and seems to be preparing for a new offensive.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It does not seem to share any details with \u0141uka\u0161enka, including on how it will use Belarusian territory against Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Since \u0141uka\u0161enka has put everything on the line by supporting Russia in the war, his anxiety is absolutely justified as he would like to be prepared for possible new twists. Putin has not necessarily answered his questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka seems to consider changing his role. At a news conference for foreign journalists last week, he cast himself as Russia\u2019s military ally and simultaneously attempted to pass himself off as a peace broker. New peace proposals Although \u0141uka\u0161enka reiterated Minsk\u2019s commitment to the military alliance with Russia at the news […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11534","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u0141uka\u0161enka presents status report to Putin, trying to sit on two chairs | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka seems to consider changing his role. 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