Belarus After the death of Foreign Minister Marky, the country's President Lukashenko lost a capable general, and the current international situation has also added many variables. Lukashenkos thought about it and decided to go to Russian President Putin in the "narrow future" to talk about the problems between Russia and Belarus.
At this moment, Oleg Kozemiako, the chief executive of the Russian coastal Krai, happened to visit Belarus. So Lukashenko announced his plan during a meeting with Kozemiako. He did not specify the specific time of meeting with Putin, but revealed some topics to be discussed.
For example, Lukashenko believes that there are some "bureaucratic obstacles" in cooperation between Russia and Belarus, which leads to their cooperation "slowing down", so he will discuss the matter with Putin in person. Lukashenko also mentioned the situation of obstruction of import substitution, but he believes that the problems between Russia and Belarus in economic development can be overcome. They are full of confidence in this, but it still takes some time to deal with some minor troubles.
During the special period, Lukashenko attached great importance to meeting Putin. Before he could set out, he considered eliminating various safety hazards in advance. In this way, the service department of the Belarusian Presidential Palace was greatly changed, and the chefs and guards around Lukashenko were replaced. The Belarusian presidential palace has been cautious to this level recently, which may be related to the death of foreign minister Marki.
Although Belarusian media said that the cause of Makyi's death was heart attack attack, he looked very healthy before and planned to take his family to the theater to watch the performance the next day. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry confirmed the news of Makyi's death, but did not explain the specific cause of death. Spokesperson Graz just said that Makyi's death was sudden and there was no sign of any sign. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Zakharova also expressed "shock" about this after learning that Mark Yi had died suddenly.
In addition, Makyi's identity and death time are also sensitive. He has long been in contact with European and American politicians and has vigorously promoted the easing of Belarus' relationship with the West. He is therefore called "the only connection between Lukashenko and the West" by foreign media. During the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he also received an invitation from the OSCE meeting and died suddenly a few days before departure.
So many strange factors are superimposed together at the same time, which will inevitably cause various speculations from the outside world about the cause of Makyi's death. For example, Russian opposition politician Nevzlin immediately pointed the finger at Moscow . He speculated that Makyi was poisoned, but the clinical manifestation of the poison was a heart attack; some foreign media also hyped Makyi's death into a "last warning to Lukashenko," because Makyi is not only the Belarusian Foreign Minister, but also Lukashenko's confidant and potential successor.
Former Belarusian ambassador to Poland Pavel Latoushka believes that Makyi may die at the hands of Belarusian security department; former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov hinted that this matter is related to Polish special forces . Makyi may be "killed" because he is loyal to Lukashenko and is unwilling to obey orders from Poland.
In this way, speculations from all parties gradually evolved into a war of public opinion, political enemies and neighboring countries attacked each other, and "conspiracy theories" about Marky's death were flying everywhere, but there was often a lack of substantial evidence. Among them, some "conspiracy theories" are suspected of provoking Russia-Belarus relations. If they are allowed to continue to ferment, they may have an adverse impact on the relatively stable relationship between Russia and Belarus. It’s no wonder that Lukashenko suddenly announced recently that he would hold talks with Putin. After all, for them, it’s better to talk in person.
At least at the current stage, Makyi's death will not cause a drastic change in Belarus' diplomatic landscape. Lukashenko was able to survive the previous ruling crisis and settled in Belarus as president, which was inseparable from Russia's support, so he must not offend this neighbor. At the right time, Russia and Belarus also need to join forces to compete with Europe and the United States, so as to reduce the risk of the Lukashenko government being overthrown by external forces and domestic opposition.
However, the Lukashenko government will not completely turn to Russia. The authorities still have room for foreign affairs. For example, the country insists on not sending troops to Ukraine, and does not recognize the "independence" of the disputed areas in eastern Ukraine in the first place in the official name. It is only willing to provide assistance to the Russian army in public opinion and logistics, and it also interacts with EU in daily life. The scheming Lukashenko knew that such a route was in line with the national interests of Belarus.
