Valer Bulhakau: Lukashenka acts as Kremlin's loyal client

The Kremlin won't tolerate ambiguous Lukashenka's reactions any more.

Historian and politologist Valer Bulhakau spoke to charter97.org about the Belarusian ruler's recognition of the annexation of Crimea.

“As for non-recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Lukashenka, formally, they haven't been incorporated into Russia. They still have the status of quasi-independent states having the administrative-political border with Russia,” he noted.

The expert stressed the situation of Crimea is absolutely different.

“It is the first time in Europe since the WWII when a part of the state, which borders were recognised by all international agreements, has been incorporated into another state, the Russian Federation, by military means. It's strange to me to hear some of our analysts who expect Lukashenka to behave in another way. It's a sort of paranoic faith, as I would call it. It can probably be explained with the Byzantine-Orthodox ethos of Belarusian society. Lukashenka acts as a loyal client of the Kremlin. He formally supports the course of his patron. Another strategy in Lukashenka's conduct would be a suicide. The next election will be held in a year, and Belarus's economy is in deep crisis. There's no space for maneuvers. Russia won't tolerate ambiguous reactions from Lukashenka,” Valer Bulhakau said.

The Belarusian dictator said to journalists on March 23 that he recognised the annexation of Crimea by Russia.