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Is Lukashenko a Problem for Putin?
The Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, relationship with the Belarussian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, goes back 20 years.
Since Wagner’s attempted coup on the Kremlin, some have been questioning what exactly Lukashenko offered to Prigozhin that made him change his mind about Russia’s leadership so drastically.
What exactly could Lukashenko have said? And did his offer fly over Putin’s head?
Let’s discuss.
“It is better to be a dictator than gay.” — Alexander Lukashenko
Some of you might ask why Lukashenko was in the position to offer something to Prigozhin in the first place.
That’s primarily because of their history. That history has Putin in a slightly uncomfortable situation.
In fact, analysts argue that it seems that Lukashenko has some leverage over Putin.
There are three arenas where Lukashenko was able to develop a relationship with Prigozhin. These include (1) Prigozhin’s catering, (2) joint military drills, and (3) Prigozhin’s repeated support for Lukashenko.
To outline them for you, I’ll briefly discuss each in turn:
- Prigozhin’s catering business, Concord Catering, was operational in Belarus with a…
