"Lukashenko Will Be Written Off Quickly."

The dictator was on a short leash.

Director of the Ukrainian Institute of World Politics Evgeny Magda told Salidarnastsi about the last meeting between Lukashenko and Putin, and what Belarusians should prepare for.

- Lukashenko and Putin are trying to use each other. Lukashenko is looking for an opportunity to get Russian money. And Putin is using Lukashenko to show that he has an ally, to support theses, to emphasize that Ukraine should go to negotiations as soon as possible," the political scientist said.

- It should not be forgotten that Putin is in a certain zeitnot amid the statements of Donald Trump. The paradox here is that Lukashenko has his own game with Trump, which he is apparently ready to play in order to maximize his success.

So he will do as much as possible to show himself as Russia's ally on the one hand, and as a party to deal with on the other. And here I wouldn't rule out further release of political prisoners.

Magda emphasizes: it doesn't mean that Lukashenko will run from Russia to the West. However, the expert believes that the intensity of the ruler's pro-Russianism will decrease.

- Not because he has stopped loving the Kremlin. He simply understands that he will have to maneuver in this situation. And the more effectively, the better for him. After all, his personal factor is stronger than his understanding of state interests.

Russia, for its part, unfortunately, will continue to send greetings to Belarus with drones that will fly through the Belarusian space. It is vital for Belarusians to learn the rules of behavior in case of air alerts, and for the Belarusian authorities not to ignore drone arrivals the way they ignored the coronavirus five years ago. Because the danger here is no less.

In Eugeny Magda's opinion, there will be a lot of conspiracy stories about the meeting between Lukashenko and Putin now.

- The topic of "Oreshnik," which is likely to be deployed in Belarus, has been voiced again. But Oreshnik in this case is not just a favorite toy of Putin and Lukashenko. It is an alternative to nuclear weapons, which have been talked about for two and a half years in the Belarusian context, but no one has yet recorded radioactive radiation from which on the territory of Belarus.

And this is also an important factor worth considering. Lukashenko is on a short leash of the Kremlin, and this is a fact. But this does not mean that he will not try to maneuver further, because he understands very well that as soon as he is no longer needed by Russia, he will be quickly written off and replaced by someone more suitable.

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