The President of Belarus is going to the Victory Parade in Moscow because it is important for his electorate.
Political strategist Vitaly Shklyarov said this today on the air of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“In his place, it would make sense to go and show friendship, relations and a strong gesture towards Vladimir Putin, first of all, for his own personal safety and election campaign. He will show support for Russia, which is important for him and the majority of Belarusians. There is no need to create illusions: without Russia, Belarus simply will not survive economically. So this will come in handy for him,” Shklyarov said.
He does not believe that Lukashenko’s rhetoric, which has become tougher towards Russia in the last one and a half to two years, needs to be taken seriously.
“This is an old dance that Lukashenko usually performed at the end of December - beginning of January on the eve of gas trading. But without Russia - this is the main strategic partner - Lukashenko will not go anywhere. If there is no Putin, there will be no Lukashenko,” Shklyarov said.
Earlier, in his Telegram channel, the political strategist refuted the idea imposed by official Belarusian propaganda that Russia wants to overthrow Lukashenko.
“So, Alexander Grigorievich, it’s true that this is who, but Vladimir Vladimirovich is not even thinking about any overthrow of you. If only because you are “habitual evil” for him (with an emphasis on “habitual”). And as we all know well, they don’t seek good from good,” Shklyarov wrote.
The political strategist is known for organizing the election campaigns of Russian politicians Dmitry Gudkov and Ksenia Sobchak, working in the United States on the campaigns of Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders, and advising Angela Merkel. Shklyarov also collaborated with a supporter of ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Sakaashvili, Grigol Vashadze.