Arkady Moshes: Lukashenka Regime Received Real Slap

From Yerevan in particular.

The Lukashenka regime is of no interest to the West and the countries of the former Soviet republics. Arkady Moshes, the Programme Director for the Russia, EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and Eurasia research programme at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs expressed his opinion on the air of Euroradio.

Previous talks and assumptions that the West could resume relations with Lukashenka have subsided. The Lukashenka regime is totally unattractive to the West from the point of view of partnership, Moshes believes.

“It is also worth noting that there was a decline in the respect to Belarus among the former Soviet republics. It became clear at the end of the year. Yerevan escapades: I'll go here, I won't go here. If we think about diplomatic canons, this is a rather serious slap in the face of Lukashenka, who claims to be one of the centers of integration among former Soviet republics.

Also, Belarus has not become a full member of either the BRICS or the SCO. Probably, it will someday. But now it hasn't – and this also signals the extent to which Lukashenka can exert influence in the post-Soviet territory.