Over the weekend, Belarus’s head of state, Alexander Lukashenko, surprised even those accustomed to his loud remarks. He threatened the European Union with the closure of the Russian gas pipeline, as well as with Russian nuclear bombers on board. Thus, Lukashenko tried to respond to warnings about possible sanctions in connection with the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border. Thousands of refugees from the Middle East have set up camps and hope to flee to prosperous Germany, but Poland does not allow this to happen, calling what is happening a hybrid war led by the Belarussian authorities. Alexander Lukashenko has also taken Russia into the orbit of the crisis – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has twice called Vladimir Putin, but the media has reported that Aeroflot (which has nothing to do with transporting refugees) could be sanctioned due to the migrant crisis. Lukashenko has lured Russia into a trap, but they are made according to drawings that have long been drawn in the Kremlin for his own use. Russia itself has used this trap more than once, but now its troubled neighbor is taking over the valuable experience.
With the permission of the publisher, the portal “Delfi” has the exclusive right to republish the independent Russian media in Latvian “Republic.ru” (formerly “Slon.ru”) articles. We started cooperation in 2019.
Lukashenko’s tactics are quite understandable. On the one hand, he trades openly with the European Union, listing the conditions directly.
–
