Andrei Illarionov: Lukashenka Might Go To Forest For Mushrooms And Never Return

Lukashenka’s rule is facing a real threat today.

Russian economist, Putin’s advisor in 200-2005 Andrei Illarionov has said this in an interview to the “Apostrophe”.

- Who should be prepared to the next intervention by Russia, if there are any grounds to expect such invasion to happen?

- There is a difference between conventional and non-conventional instruments for invasion. This difference appears extremely important for the victim of the intervention. The non-conventional intervention in the US electoral campaign in 2015-2016 was one thing, and the conventional occupation and annexation of the Crimea, the war in eastern Ukraine is a totally different thing. It seems obvious that no country in Europe can be fully isolated from the possible aggression of the informational, corruption, propagandistic, espionage, or hybrid nature. As for the conventional intervention, the candidate #1 to risk this kind of invasion at the moment is Belarus.

- How highly do you rate the probability, and what it will depend on in the first place?

- This will depend primarily on the state of health of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, and the stability of its 24/7 communication with other members of the Belarusian government. If Lukashenka goes, for example, to the forest for mushrooms, and the connection with him is interrupted for 24 hours, and the defense and interior ministers of Belarus are unable to reach him, then very serious temptations and risks may occur.