Russia Worries If Awkward Ally’s Time Is Up as Protests Grow
- Some in Kremlin said to fear Lukashenko could lose control
- Belarus is key ally for Russia, buffer against NATO in West
Demonstrators in Independence Square during a protest rally in Minsk on Aug. 14.
Photographer: Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
Russia’s options to preserve influence in its closest ally are narrowing as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s grip on power slips amid swelling popular protests against his 26-year rule.
Some in the Kremlin fear Lukashenko could be forced from office, according to three people familiar with the situation, leaving Russia scrambling to maintain its special relationship with a vital buffer against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Others see his brutal crackdown on opponents as counterproductive but ultimately likely to keep him in power at least for a while, said another person close to the Kremlin.