Posted on 07/02/2022 9:39:30 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday gave a stern message to other former Soviet Union nations keeping their distance from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
"The countries of the post-Soviet space should be sincerely interested in rapprochement with the union state, if, of course, they want to preserve their sovereignty and independence," Lukashenko said, according to an English translation of a report from the Belarusian state-run BelTA news agency. "We are convinced that only together can we resist global challenges."
Lukashenko was meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Grodno, Belarus, as part of the ninth Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia when he made the comments.
"Those who still have doubts should understand: Without the speedy unity and rallying, strengthening of interstate ties and simply normal human relations, we may not exist tomorrow," added Lukashenko, who has been an outspoken supporter of Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
[Some speculate that Lukashenko would like to be the next Czar of a re-unified Russian Empire, and that he could be an acceptable figurehead to the security services elites who run Russia.]
Not so much that Putin is a figurehead, as that he can’t continue long term as the public face, if they want to get sanctions lifted. Russia can’t be rehabilitated if he is.
No one else can take the blame, to get Russia rehabilitated.
He might also have one of the many rumored health issues, and jockeying could be going on.
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