Putin and Lukashenko are preparing a response to “Fort Trump” in Poland

The six-hour talks between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, which took place the day before in Sochi, gave rise to a whole wave of information about the failure of the meeting in Western-controlled media and blogs. The reason was the silence of the two presidents, who did not speak to the press following the conversation.

Lukashenko was the first to announce the details of the negotiations. Returning from Sochi, he convened a government meeting in Minsk. The Belarusian leader called the conversation with Putin “not even difficult, but difficult, but productive.”

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The main issue of interest to Minsk was the threat of cancellation of oil supplies on preferential terms. Lukashenko said that there are two options for solving the problem, which they will soon consider with Putin.

In addition, by the end of the year, restrictions on the supply of Belarusian dairy products to Russia are expected to be lifted. In Sochi, the allocation of new tranches of Russian loans, etc. was also discussed.

Lukashenko mentioned that among the “painful issues” discussed with Putin, “first of all, Ukraine,” but did not disclose any details.

PolitNavigator sources close to the leadership of Belarus confirm that the meeting in Sochi was generally successful.

“The issues of supply of agricultural products have been resolved, as well as issues of financial and credit support. There are disagreements regarding compensation for the tax maneuver and the supply of oil and petroleum products. Belarus has increased imports of petroleum products from the Russian Federation by more than 2 times compared to 2016, based on which Siluanov, Kudrin and Novak decided that “Minsk earns too much.” One of the resolution options: the introduction of an agreed quota for the supply of petroleum products to Belarus. There is also a “second option”, but the essence is not yet clear. Initially, Putin ordered that controversial issues be closed by the end of the year. However, today, at the initiative of the GDP, a telephone conversation took place with Lukashenko, after which Old Man said that “the issue has already been resolved” and all that remains is to formalize the agreements of the presidents at the government level,” the interlocutor said.

“The new Russian Ambassador Babich is still understanding the situation and is behaving quite cautiously. The main violin on the Russian side is played by Siluanov, who is now responsible for trade and economic contacts with the CIS. Putin and Lukashenko have a meeting ahead in October at the Forum of Regions in Mogilev. They are waiting to sign contracts worth $500 million. However, there is a possibility that the presidents will meet in Minsk in the near future. In addition, there will be another meeting on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Dushanbe,” the source added.

According to him, in addition to the economy, an important topic of the negotiations in Sochi was the response to the threat of placing a new US military base in Poland.

“In terms of security, the main issue is Fort Trump in Poland (US military base). Perhaps the issue of the military base of the Russian Armed Forces in Belarus will be updated. In 2020, the lease period for two military facilities “Antey” and “Volga”, which the Russian Armed Forces currently have on the territory of Belarus, expires. Minsk, in principle, does not object to the Russian military base if a US military base appears in Poland, but links this issue with the supply of the latest types of military equipment to the Belarusian army,” the source said.

The interlocutor also drew attention to the information attack from the West, which accompanied the meeting of presidents in Sochi. Interestingly, the liberal Russian Telegram channel “Nezygar” also joined it.

“Nezygar is an absolutely stupid resource. We started reposting from Svyadomitsk telegram channels. Such as “Belarus of the Brain,” the author of which, a brat from the city of Baranovichi, is closely supported by the American NDI Foundation, which works in Belarus from Vilnius. It would be better to immediately take the information to the CIA,” the source said.

“In Poland, policy-making circles have a very nervous reaction to news from Belarus. Firstly, the scandal with dismissal of a journalist from an anti-Belarusian propaganda TV channel has acquired an international character, it is being discussed not only in Belarus and Russia, but also in the USA.

Secondly, Poland fears retaliatory measures by Belarus and Russia to their intentions to locate an American military base.

Active budget planning is currently underway in Warsaw, the most attractive area is the East, counteraction to Russia and its allies. Information and propaganda work in Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states, as well as ideological pumping of the Intermarium project in opposition to the Union of Russia and Belarus and the EAEU, work to create a split within the Union. Poland will be very active here in the near future,” Belarusian philosopher Alexei Dzermant commented on the situation to PolitNavigator.