JRL NEWSWATCH: “Energy deals point to thawing of Belarus-Russia relations” – Financial Times
“Moscow’s attitude towards Minsk had cooled in wake of protests against Lukashenko”
“… Lukashenko[,] … rul[ing] Belarus since 1994, has faced massive street protests and unprecedented public anger since … [a] presidential election … [that] western countries said was falsified. His regime’s brutal crackdown … prompted … U.S., EU and UK … sanctions … and even sparked [Kremlin] anger …. Moscow was already losing patience with … Lukashenko
… on integration …. [and] after Belarusian security services arrested 33 Russian mercenaries …. But … oil and gas deals [with Russia] end months of uncertainty for Minsk, which relies on Russian gas for its energy needs and props up its budget by importing cheap Russian oil and selling on petroleum products to Europe. …”
Click here for: “Energy deals point to thawing of Belarus-Russia relations; Moscow’s attitude towards Minsk had cooled in wake of protests against Lukashenko; Henry Foy in Moscow Asked whether he and Russian president Vladimir Putin were ‘on the same political team,’ Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko was unequivocal.” – Financial Times