Andrei Suzdaltsev: Putin wants to open anti-Ukrainian front with Lukashenka's help

A meeting of the heads of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan in Moscow was moved for a reason.

Andrei Suzdaltsev, a Russian politologist and deputy dean of the faculty of world economy and international affairs at the National Research University "Higher School of Economics", spoke to charter97.org about Lukashenka's visit to Russia to take part in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

“It's worth noting that the meeting was suddenly moved from March 11 to March 5. It was caused by the need to create a common front on the Ukrainian problem. Russia already saw the strange behaviour of its official 'ally' in 2008 during the Georgian-Russian conflict. Belarus didn't offer much support. Of course, Russia remembers promises of Aliaksandr Lukashenka to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which he took back having failed to receive a decent, in his view, reward. The same situation repeats. Moscow is in a deep conflict with the Ukrainian government, which it doesn't recognise. It [Russia] counts on support from its allies, especially member of the 'union state' Belarus,” he noted.

The politologist added the meeting was important for the other reason too.

“The matter is that the draft treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community has already been published. Belarus and Kazakhstan try to defend their preferences in the union. In their view, four freedoms of movement – for goods, services, capital and workforce – must be applied only to the Russian market, while the Kazakh and Belarusian markets must remain closed. In other words, they are ready to use the Russian market, money and resources, but don't want to contribute to the integration process. So, there are no equal rights, which Lukashenka likes to speak about,” Andrei Suzdaltsev said.

The heads of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are expected to meet in Moscow on March 5 at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which was early scheduled for March 11.

Photo: RIA Novosti