Putin’s Unruly Ally Casts Eyes to West as Russian Ties Strain
- Russia, West face off over strategic ex-Soviet nation
- First shipment of U.S. oil has begun to arrive in Belarus
Vladimir Putin, center, and Alexander Lukashenko, left, in Sochi, Russia. on Feb. 21.
Photographer: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP PoolThis article is for subscribers only.
For Vladimir Putin’s closest ally, Alexander Lukashenko has been downright unfriendly toward the Kremlin of late. After decades of dependence on Moscow, the Belarusian leader is buying oil from the U.S., and cozying up politically to the West, while ordering a raid on a Russian-owned bank whose former head is challenging him in the upcoming election.
It’s all giving Putin a headache in his own backyard with Lukashenko practically certain to secure a sixth term as president in August and threatening to loosen the strategically important nation’s ties with Russia.