Gleb Pavlovsky Describes Lukashenka: Double Game, Double Money, Double Risk

The Russian political analyst believes the Belarusian dictator is afraid of Russia.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka builds up his policy on "manoeuvring" between Russia and Western countries. Russian political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky expressed this opinion on December 24 on the air of Echo of Moscow.

He believes that the ruler of Belarus is afraid of Russia.

"Aliaksandr Ryhoravich is a complete scoundrel. However, he's small, while Russia is huge. ...I think anyone would be scared. Especially when someone is filmed on the streets of Berlin. You know, Minsk is closer. So I think he's scared. On the other hand, it's the result of his policy line. He has tried to manoeuvre between Moscow and the West. It was a winning policy, but as one person said - double game, double money, double risk," Pavlovsky said.

December 24, Lukashenka gave an interview to Echo of Moscow. He complained about Russia's attitude towards Belarus and designed the situation when Russia threatened the sovereignty of Belarus.

Russia and Belarus have been negotiating upon the creation of a "union state" for over 20 years. If the parties agree, economic ties between Moscow and Minsk may reach the level of the European Union or even federal states, the Russian media wrote.

In late 2018, the Russian Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote that 25 December 2018, Lukashenka agreed with Vladimir Putin to unify legislation, create a single parliament, the Cabinet and other authorities, and adopt single symbols and currency.

In January 2019, Lukashenka called the talks on the possible unification with Russia silly and baseless. In February he urged not to believe or read the statements about the possible loss of sovereignty of Belarus.

April 17, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow had offered Belarus to further integrate with Russia within the "union state".

September 16, citing a source in the Russian government, Kommersant informed that Russia and Belarus intended to combine economies from January 2021. The head of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei stated that the authorities of Russia and Belarus planned to initiate work on a single Tax Code.

December 23, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Dzmitry Krutoy said that the integration of Russia and Belarus in the economic sphere had been "very poor," but the main package of documents had already been adopted.