[tchuev]

People are downvoting, but it def looks like the truth. As a Russian I've been worried about this involvement since the mercenaries were detained.

The level of pressure Putin put on Lukashenko was unbelievable. The ruse was quite transparent: create the Union and put Putin on the throne. L. stood strong and made Putin opt for plan B (constitutional amendments which amounted to a coup).

The measures taken to force Lukashenko's hand were cutting off oil supply (heh, the United States did the same to Japan pre-WWII), stopping imports of Belarusian goods, setting up disadvantageous tax regimes. Ex-ambassador to Belarus Babich was openly insulting Lukashenko, Belarus and after being booted from Minsk was put in charge of anti-Belarusian economic warfare in the Ministry of Economy in Russia.

Gazprom-sponsored candidate (Babariko (sp?)) couldn't make it to the polls, so the decision was made to up the ante.

Let me be clear - I'm not alone - there are many thousands of Lukashenko admirers here in Russia, just yesterday saw a middle-aged man in a mall with a T-shirt and a slogan "he doesn't steal" next to "bat'ka"'s portrait. It would do Russia a lot of good to have Lukashenko in power instead of Putin. Lukashenko's COVID response didn't make much sense, though.

[m0zg]

But he does steal. Try to call long distance to Belarus, and marvel at the pricing. That's "Bat'ka"'s money trough.