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Significance
Lukashenka has made it clear he believes Russia is using oil and gas as weapons to bend him to its will and said two weeks ago that the Belarusian nation would 'eat him alive' if he acceded to Russian wishes for closer political union.
Impacts
Lukashenka has identified himself as defender of Belarusian nationhood but risks being blamed for any ensuing economic troubles.
The government will try to control the political narrative by curbing access to Russian broadcast media.
The start-up of the first reactor at the Astravets nuclear plant this year will cut gas import requirements by 25%, the president says.
Keywords:
Belarus,
Russia,
RUCIS,
CIS,
Kazakhstan,
Lithuania,
Norway,
Poland,
United States,
BELARUS/RUSSIA,
economy,
industry,
international relations,
foreign policy,
foreign trade,
gas,
oil,
talks,
Fossil fuels
© Oxford Analytica 2020. All rights reserved. This content contains general information about geopolitical, macroeconomic and social developments or (where stated) other matters. It does not contain advice or recommendations that may be relied on. Where links to external websites are provided, this does not indicate that Oxford Analytica or Emerald agree with, endorse or have checked for accuracy the contents of said sites.
2020
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