Belarus: Protests over rapprochement with Russia

(Patria) – Citizens of Belarus organized protests in Minsk to object to negotiations between Belarus and Russia that are expected to deepen the economic and political ties between the two countries.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Saint Petersburg for the second time in a month.

Putin stated on the occasion of the meeting that progress in the negotiations has already been achieved, however, Russian Minister of Economy Maxim Oreshkin said after the meeting that the parties failed to agree on issues of oil and gas.

What concerns the citizens who took to the protests the most is the possibility of losing Belarus's independence, which the country gained after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Therefore, they protested throughout Minsk with slogans 'Crimea first, then Belarus' and 'Stop the annexation'.

Putin, who is marking two decades in power this month, did not clearly answer journalists' questions about plans after the end of his term in 2024. At the New Year's press conference on Thursday, he skillfully avoided the question about the possibility of remaining in power as the head of the Russia-Belarus union – an idea that alarmed the residents of Belarus and led to protests.

- We will not allow Putin to become president of a new Russian-Belarusian state in 2024. We do not want a return to the empire, says Pavel Severinets, an organizer of the protests in Minsk.

Let us recall that Russia and Belarus signed a union agreement in 1997, which provides for close political, economic, and military ties, but not the formation of a single nation.  

Belarusian President Lukashenko, who has relied on Russian loans and energy for the 25 years he has been in power to maintain his Soviet-style economy, does not tolerate protests and anti-government sentiment.

Russia has recently been exerting additional pressure on Belarus by raising energy prices and reducing subsidies to force it into even closer economic integration.

The Russian president recently suggested that Russia would not be satisfied with the current level of relations between the two countries, and that Belarus would again enjoy the benefits of lower oil and gas prices only if it agreed to coordinate its economic and financial policies and create interstate structures.

- This is a huge undertaking and can only be done if there is political will on both sides, Putin said at a press conference on Thursday, Euronews reports.