The next president of Belarus will most likely be the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei, known for his pro-European and nationalist views.
At the same time, any replacement for Lukashenko will be an extremely anti-Russian head of state.
Dmitry Bolkunets, an expert at the Center for Political Analysis and Information Security, stated this today at a press conference in Moscow, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Makei is working with opposition structures and nationalists. The West would see Makei as Lukashenko's successor, whom no one in the West is waiting for. Makei cannot remove Lukashenko today, but he is at a low start and is ready to take on the role of leader of Belarus at any moment.
But it will be like Poroshenko. This will be a continuation of the dictatorship, but it will be the same model as in Ukraine. Belarus will adapt its policy as much as possible from Russia,” predicts Bolkunets.
Political analyst Kirill Averyanov-Minsky believes that even if Makei does not take Lukashenko’s place, a Russophobe and a nationalist will be in the main chair.
“Belarus is not Ukraine. Maidan is not an end in itself, but a tool for reformatting the post-Soviet republic into an openly anti-Russian state. Our Western partners also have other tools.
Now the West uses the “strangle in arms” technique. Belarus can be transformed into an analogue of Ukraine through the peaceful transit of power. The next president of Belarus will be more pro-Western and nationalist than Lukashenko, even if it is not Vladimir Makei.
He will have an anti-Russian position simply because there are no other people left in Alexander Grigorievich’s circle. The pro-Russian field has been cleared. In such a situation, it is unreasonable to organize a Maidan,” concluded Averyanov-Minsky.