As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, one nation is reaping rewards — Belarus, whose leader was dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by the West.
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko is relishing his new role as broker of the Ukraine peace talks, and his nation of 10 million people is profiting handsomely by reprocessing or simply repackaging European food banned by Moscow in retaliation to Western sanctions.
In the most stunning example, exports of sea fish from the landlocked nation have doubled during the past three months.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
Food exports to Russia have been a major hard-currency-earner for Belarus, worth US$5.7 billion last year. This year’s figures are not yet available, but a sharp rise in imports of food from Europe signaled that the nation sandwiched between Russia and EU members Poland and Lithuania quickly took advantage of Moscow’s ban.
“Lukashenko hopes to turn Belarus into a bridge between the East and the West, for which both sides will have to pay,” independent Minsk-based analyst Alexander Klaskovsky said. “Lukashenko loves a proverb: A friendly calf sucks two mothers.”
With Lukashenko friendly to Ukraine and Russia, Belarus has been able to serve as neutral ground for peace talks over the situation in Ukraine. Russia and the West would like Belarus to continue hosting the talks.
“Belarus is undergoing a transformation from a pariah to a respectable player,” Klaskovsky said.
Lukashenko is looking to take advantage of that. His government is currently in talks with the IMF on a prospective new loan, and Lukashenko’s economics minister recently attended a London conference intended to lure foreign investors.
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