Kremlin unhappy about Minsk’s independent position on Ukrainian crisis and Eurasian integration

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will pay a working visit to Belarus to discuss the international and regional situation, including the crisis in Ukraine.

In recent statements, President Lukashenko and Foreign Minister Makei underscored their dissatisfaction over recent agreements with Moscow and pointed to certain problems with the Eurasian Economic Union. In addition, during his visit to Ukraine to attend Poroshenko’s inauguration, President Lukashenko made rather bold position statements about the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, which could be interpreted as support for the Ukrainian side. It is worth noting that Belarus is reactivating its Western policy, which also brings some dividends to Belarusian leadership. If pressured by the Kremlin, however, the Belarusian authorities might be prompted to coordinate their positions on sensitive issues, such as Eurasian integration and the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, with Russia.