Minsk compensates for refusal to support Moscow over Ukraine

Last week, Belarus did not support Russia’s attempt to remove the resolution on Ukraine from the OSCE PA agenda. Belarus’ decision has set a precedent in Russo-Belarusian agreements, which imply close cooperation and support on the international arena.

Apparently, Moscow has accepted Minsk’s reasoning for strengthening Belarus’ image as a “donor of regional security” with an independent foreign policy. It is possible that the Kremlin is also interested in strengthening Minsk’s position in international organisations, which could mean it would have an additional leverage to ease tension between the Kremlin and Western capitals.

Meanwhile, the Belarusian leadership has emphasised its ideological closeness with the Russian authorities by criticising Warsaw regarding Soviet historical heritage, a sensitive topic for Russia’s domestic policy, which, probably mitigated the effect of Belarus’s refusal to support Russia on the resolution on Ukraine.