MINSK, Belarus (AP) – As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, there’s one country that’s reaping rewards – Belarus, whose authoritarian leader was once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by the United States and the European Union.
President Alexander Lukashenko is relishing his new role as broker of the Ukraine peace talks, and his country of 10 million people is profiting handsomely by reprocessing or simply repackaging European food banned by Moscow in retaliation to Western sanctions. In the most stunning example, exports of sea fish from the landlocked nation have doubled during the last three months – a sure sign that something curious is afoot.
Food exports to Russia have been a major hard currency-earner for cash-strapped Belarus, worth $5.7 billion in 2013. This year’s figures aren’t available yet, but a sharp rise in imports of food from Europe signaled that the country, which is sandwiched between Russia and EU members Poland and Lithuania, quickly took advantage of Moscow’s ban.
“Lukashenko hopes to turn Belarus into a bridge between the East and the West, for which both sides will have to pay,” said Alexander Klaskovsky, an independent Minsk-based analyst. “Lukashenko loves a proverb: A friendly calf sucks two mothers.”
With Lukashenko friendly with the leaders of both Ukraine and Russia, Belarus has been able to serve as neutral ground for peace talks over the situation in Ukraine. Both Russia and the West would like Belarus to continue playing host to the negotiations.