Why Isn't Putin Flying To Minsk?

The Kremlin has questioned the "ally".

Vladimir Putin will not fly to Minsk for a meeting of the "Supreme State Council of the Union State."

On November 4, there will be a meeting of the "council", but only via videoconference. Lukashenka called this event "a decisive step in integration."

The date of the meeting was announced back in September. Then unofficial information appeared that by November 4 they would not manage to prepare 28 union programs for signing, the BP website writes.

Does this mean that the widely advertised signing of the "union programs" has stalled?

The journalists asked the experts what this yet another hitch in the Belarusian-Russian integration means.

The Kremlin doubted

- In Moscow, the effectiveness of the "union state" is being questioned. Indeed, the union state is developing neither shaky nor badly, money is being invested, but there is no serious return. Moreover, the Belarusian side does not always fulfill its promises - this also alarms the Kremlin, - said the 2001 presidential candidate Uladzimir Hancharyk. - In addition, the Union programs themselves are vague, not filled with specifics. Therefore, they are meant for the long term. Therefore, there is no emergency: even if they do not sign on November 4, they can do it at any time - nothing will change significantly.

- For more than 20 years, Russia has invested over $ 130 billion in Belarus. The question arises: where are our modern enterprises? Where is the cutting-edge technology? Why are the world's leading enterprises operating in Russia, but not going to Belarus? Why don't we even take advantage of the Russian experience? Russia has gone on a long vacation due to the coronavirus. So why should Putin fly to Belarus even from this point of view ? - says Hancharyk.

This is a signal to Lukashenka that the Kremlin is dissatisfied with his behavior

Economist Leu Marholin also commented on the situation:

- If Putin goes to Svestapol on November 4, then it will become obvious: this is a signal to Lukashenka that the Kremlin is dissatisfied with his behavior. What are they dissatisfied with, why are they dissatisfied? I don’t think that the discontent is caused by the story of Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus, apparently, the sins are more serious, but neither we nor the Russians are told about it.

The media attacks of the Belarusian propaganda against Putin, according to Marholin, testify to Lukashenka's discontent:

- Lukashenka also made demarches with the same Komsomolskaya Pravda for a reason: he is clearly dissatisfied with something. It is difficult to understand what he is dissatisfied with, but it may well be that with the draft Constitution. The referendum seems to have already been announced, the Russians should relax if that was their goal. Perhaps. Not only the union programs were subject to approval, but also the draft Constitution, which, perhaps, did not suit the customer in Moscow. The Kremlin, by and large, does not care whether Lukashenka remains a head of state or not, an All-Belarusian People's Assembly appears or not; they are more interested in enhancing the role of parliament and turning Belarus into a parliamentary-presidential republic in order to legally strengthen their influence here. We don't have either Crimea or Donbas, it's hard to press; if a new person comes to power, he or she will immediately begin economic reforms. We cannot remain North Korea in the center of Europe indefinitely. And reforms will begin - dependence on Russia will eventually decline. This means that they will have to use other levers of influence, - said Leu Marholin.