Road Charity Show

The Kremlin did not give any money.

Lukashenka returned not in the good mood from Moscow on February 19. There was a lot of noise, a lot of beautiful words, but the Kremlin did not give any money. Moreover, it has already become a tradition. We remind that Lukashenka received the last money as a loan (USD 1.5 billion) from Russia in the autumn of 2020. (in several tranches, and in 2021), writes Russian political analyst Andrei Suzdaltsev for the politoboz.com website.

We remind that the background of the Russian-Belarusian summit held in Moscow was exceptionally tough, and the meeting between Putin and Lukashenka was initially focused on geopolitics.

Lukashenka needs money. Belarus will not be able to cover this year's loan payments - more than 3 billion dollars.

The issue of sanctions against Belarus since the beginning of 2022 has become critically important for the Belarusian leader. We remind that Belaruskali is not just a "currency workshop" of the country, but in fact the most important "family" asset of Lukashenka's clan.

Let us remind you that last week the Ukrainian government closed the transit of Belarusian potash through Ukrainian ports. The issue of the shipment of Belarusian fertilizers through Russian port terminals is strategic for Minsk.

Lukashenka's "portfolio" also includes technical equipment for the Belarusian army and incentives for Belarusian exports to the Russian market, but Moscow was interested in the pace of "harmonization" of the 28 union programs, some of which are already overdue.

Whereas Russia saw Lukashenkao's visit to Moscow as part of a strategy of geopolitical confrontation, Lukashenka needed a meeting with the Russian president to legalise the constitutional referendum scheduled for February 27.

Lukashenka coped quite well with his role, but the "road show" turned out to be charitable, which could not but affect the mood of the Belarusian leader. Lukashenka got off the plane in Minsk with a "petrified" face. It's not pleasant when you are used...

Lukashenka has denied himself. The fact is that back in January, in an interview with Russian journalist Solovyov, Lukashenka claimed that a certain "our" businessman was already building a "Belarusian port" on the shore of the Gulf of Finland that would be used to export Belarusian potash. It turned out that nothing is being built and the construction work has not even been approved! V. Putin ordered to help the Belarusians promptly to start construction. It is clear that this is easier than giving Lukashenka billions of dollars.

The prospect of a Belarusian port in the Gulf of Finland is still very dim, but the decision to build it indicates that Minsk has failed to "move" Russian fertilizer producers in their own market and at their own shipping terminals. Minsk will have to build itself, which, firstly, will delay the solution of the problem of exporting Belarusian potash to the world market, bypassing Klaipeda, for at least two years and, secondly, will require cosmic expenses. Port construction is one of the most capital-intensive in the construction sphere. Where will Lukashenka get this money from? So the suspense about the export of Belarusian potash through the new terminal is getting more intense.