‘They Treat Lukashenka As Someone Who Has No Choice’

A political scientist believes that the Belarusian dictator has become “Putin's bestie”.

On July 25-27, Lukashenka paid Russia another “working visit”. This time, Putin brought him to the island of Valaam, where he showed him around the monastery and held secret negotiations with the Belarusian ruler.

Official propaganda is silent about the results of the negotiations. BGmedia decided to fill this gap together with historian and political observer Aliaksandr Friedman.

— Commentators noted that Putin created uncomfortable conditions for Lukashenka on Valaam, which is evident even from photo reports from the island. Does this mean that Lukashenka is now in some kind of disgrace?

— No, I don't think that Lukashenka is in disgrace. That's different. Lukashenka is treated like a person who has no choice. They use him as some sort of a bestie: you've already gotten used to her, and she's loyal, and if you have absolutely no one to talk to, you'll invite Lukashenka.

The Kremlin doesn't stand on ceremony with Lukashenka — this is a fundamentally important issue. With other political leaders who come to Moscow, completely different relationships are built: you have to behave carefully with them, try not to offend them. And here a buddy has arrived — why stand on ceremony with him? Lukashenka is invited in such a way that he can't refuse: come to Valaam. Perhaps Putin is interested in seeing how Lukashenka behaves in an uncomfortable atmosphere: he would rather be wandering around the fields, not getting to know Valaam.

As for the photographs, Russian propaganda has one task — to showcase Putin, and Lukashenka is just part of the background. This is a well-known communist principle. In the GDR, there was one of the functionaries of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, Hermann Axen, who was not very presentable in appearance. When photographs of Honecker were published in the main party newspaper, Neues Deutschland, he was often placed with Axen. On the one hand, the importance of Axen was emphasized, who was indeed a very influential functionary. But, on the other hand, as they liked to say in the GDR, against the background of Axen, whom the German bard Wolf Biermann called a man with the face of a flattened jellyfish: when you put someone next to such a person, you yourself will look great. I will not say that Lukashenka is used in the role of Axen, but Russian propaganda does not care about showing Lukashenka in a good light.

And Putin looks much better against his background. Of course, such an attitude is offensive for the Belarusian side, but if the master deigns to behave like that, what can you do?

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