Will Putin Put Squeeze On Lukashenka On Valaam?

The independence and sovereignty of Belarus are at stake.

The rulers of Belarus and Russia may hold closed negotiations on Valaam Island this week. This has been reported by an informed source to Znak.com.

The meeting is expected to take place on July 11. Earlier, the media reported that Lukashenka and Putin were to meet on July 18. Why is an additional closed meeting of the two leaders on Valaam needed?

According to the opinion of philosopher and methodologist Uladzimir Matskevich, expressed in the commentary to Your Country's Tomorrow, it shows that the working groups, established to agree on the positions on the "union state", have not agreed on anything.

- Or Putin is not satisfied with what they have agreed on. Therefore, the presidents have to do the work, not completed by foreign ministers, working groups and prime ministers. Well, and Russia continues to exert pressure on the Belarusian president, who is not compliant in many respects. On the other hand, Lukashenka is trying by hook or by crook to make Russia mitigate the consequences of the tax maneuver and other troubles.

- Does Putin have new selling points for putting pressure on Lukashenka?

- If they had come up, no new meetings would be needed. They would have just been presented. The forceful pressure or ultimatums that Lukashenka would not be able to refuse would be held in silence, not at these intensive and frequent meetings.

- What tactics will Lukashenka follow next?

- The current stage of the Belarusian-Russian relations is trading. Someone puts forward some demands, the other calls a corresponding price for them, and if they do not agree to this price, the demands are corrected. Independence and sovereignty of Belarus are at stake. It should be understood and taken into account.