The Kremlin Keeps a Tight Rein on Lukashenka, Expert Says

Masters grant the Belarusian dictator a small gift - to play in front of Russian journalists.

Political scientist, expert on the CIS countries Arkadz Dubnou told in the interview to Radio Svaboda that the press conference of Lukashenka for Russian journalists was an escape - "to talk to brothers in hope that they will understand him better."

"The very sense, I think, of it is that: "Guys, I totally belong to you - to Moscow, the Kremlin and Putin! I belong to you more than even Putin does. And you play games, throw up roadblocks, and try to make me pay any debts... I will stand up for you, if it is necessary," the expert notes.

At the press conference Lukashenka suggested that the Russian authorities were afraid of him, and therefore they shot different "dirt" against him.

Dubnou believes that "today Moscow has no need to make him drown, and to keep him close as well.

"But we should not troll him. But he is still on a tight leash. I'd better say he is on "oil leash". And the only thing that is urgent, and it will not be resolved unless he is allowed to produce 7 million tons of oil at our oil fields and there will always be a dilemma: give or not to give, pay or not to pay... the political scientist believes and adds that the well-being of Belarus is based on oil deliveries and later refines and sells, as well as gas.