KGB Hijacks Flight to Arrest Journalist.

[Shalcker]

That wasn’t the question.

That's continued "shutdown of opposition media".

That doesn't get reported by BBC.

[Shalcker]

Putin and Lukashenko move to integrate economies of Russia and Belarus

Russian president announces agreement on macroeconomic policies, and common tax and customs measures

Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said they had made progress toward integrating the two countries’ economies during a summit on Thursday evening in advance of massive joint military exercises.

Speaking late on Thursday, Putin said the two leaders had agreed to coordinate the countries’ macroeconomic policies, institute common tax and customs measures, and harmonise other financial controls as part of a 28-point roadmap that is expected to increase Russia’s influence over its neighbour.

The countries will move to integrate their energy markets while maintaining steeply discounted supplies of natural gas to Belarus, and Russia will provide a further $630m in loans to the cash-strapped Belarusian government, Putin said.

The texts of the agreements were not made available and the leaders did not sign any documents publicly. While the two sides announced new economic agreements, they stopped short of introducing a common currency or going into detail on any defence or political agreements, signalling a limit to the extent of the negotiations.

Lukashenko, who has been sanctioned by the west for a brutal crackdown on the country’s opposition, has been seen as resisting pressure from Moscow to concede control over government policy in exchange for Russian support.

“First the economic foundation must be laid before moving further on the political track,” Putin said after the talks, noting that the two sides had not discussed possible political integration.

While the two sides did not openly discuss arms sales or new Russian bases in Belarus, there were signs of growing military cooperation between the countries.

Ahead of his sixth meeting with Putin this year, Lukashenko said he hoped to buy a large shipment of weapons, including combat jets and helicopters, as well as the advanced S-400 air defence weapons. Belarus also claimed that Moscow had moved Su-30 fighters to Belarus in order to patrol the country’s borders with Europe.

The Kremlin was thought to be leveraging that isolation to pressure Lukashenko into finalising a number of integration projects that would draw Belarus far closer to Russia politically, militarily and economically, even binding the countries with a shared currency.

Yet Lukashenko had stalled on implementing the agreements, which were drawn up as part of a 1999 Union State treaty, recognising that they would undermine his position and hand Belarusian sovereignty over to Moscow. A Belarusian ambassador had said that the two sides may sign the agreements on Thursday evening, state media reported. But similar predictions have fallen flat before.

The meeting comes just days before the start of the Zapad-2021 military exercises, in which an estimated tens of thousands of Belarusian and Russian troops will participate in planned manoeuvres on Europe’s borders. Moscow has claimed that as many as 200,000 troops were taking part in the training, but that number was believed to be inflated.

The exercises, which are held every four years, usually simulate a conflict between Nato and a Russian-led alliance. The 2017 drills were met with considerable alarm in the west, where there were concerns that the exercises could serve to justify a military buildup on Nato’s borders. The response to the 2021 drills, which were set to be held from 10-16 September, has been more muted, although European countries along the Belarusian border have heightened security precautions, in part due to a migrant crisis fomented by the Belarusian leader.

“I asked you to come to summarise the results of what’s been done recently in creating the programme of the Union State,” Putin said as the talks opened on Thursday, referring to a decision to further integrate the countries that had stalled since it was first agreed in principle in 1999.

“We are moving forward like civilised countries, only together, only as a union … nearly a single people,” said Lukashenko in a rhetorical flourish.

Well, at least forced break with EU produced some benefits.

[postman1782]

Yeah, we know you want the USSR and Stalin back. No need to spam the forum.

Yep, because his employer wants the same thing.

[Shalcker]

Yeah, we know you want the USSR and Stalin back. No need to spam the forum.

It's just another variant of EU, nothing like USSR.

Don't need Stalin if we aren't preparing for another World War.

[Shalcker]

You’re a Stalinist. How would your desired outcome be different than his?

I'm not.

He aimed to deal with upcoming war by rapid industrialization at basically "any cost", and he won it, that's how his actions are justified.

Now we're dealing with trade blocks, and for "trade wars" we need blocks of our own.

[Shalcker]

“We need a Stalin on international trade and a union of Russian states to be powerful again.” Totally not a Stalinist.

Yep, totally different.

Also entirely liberal rather then communist approach.

[Shalcker]

Aside from your unflinching support of Putin?

It is quite "flinching"; i didn't vote for him last time nor planning to vote for his party this time around.

[MCMLXXXII]

He'll win anyway with 105% of the votes.

[Shalcker]

He'll win anyway with 105% of the votes.

He is not running; the question is mostly how big of a hit to United Russia results are going to be.

As it is impossible for them to escape unscathed after everything they done.

[Easo]

So what, Lukash was finally made to bow to Kremlin regarding the unification of both states? This is not EU example and you, Shalcker, know that.

He is not running; the question is mostly how big of a hit to United Russia results are going to be.

As it is impossible for them to escape unscathed after everything they done.

Does not matter. First, because they will 100% keep power no matter what the results will be. Second, you and others here will still try to defend them.

[Shalcker]

So what, Lukash was finally made to bow to Kremlin regarding the unification of both states? This is not EU example and you, Shalcker, know that.

Why do you think it's different? For some countries EU came as package deal together with NATO.

Does not matter. First, because they will 100% keep power no matter what the results will be.

How exactly they will need to share it matters.

Second, you and others here will still try to defend them.

I seek to understand them - why they do what they do and what they aim to achieve with that; some people seem to consider that to be defense.

And i certainly share some of goals - though for different reasons.

[Easo]

Why do you think it's different? For some countries EU came as package deal together with NATO.

How exactly they will need to share it matters.

I seek to understand them - why they do what they do and what they aim to achieve with that; some people seem to consider that to be defense.

And i certainly share some of goals - though for different reasons.

It did not, we voted for it. Something Russia should learn - real voting.

You are still pretending that they really need to share it.

Seeking to understand them? Brah... this forum is pretty united in that you are their mouthpiece.

[Shalcker]

It did not, we voted for it. Something Russia should learn - real voting.

Yeah, right, like you could reject both...

You are still pretending that they really need to share it.

They are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. Yes, they could be forced to.

Seeking to understand them? Brah... this forum is pretty united in that you are their mouthpiece.

This forum is pretty united at loving Western narratives and looking at everything else as Kremlin propaganda.

[Azadina]

Yeah, right, like you could reject both...

They are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. Yes, they could be forced to.

This forum is pretty united at loving Western narratives and looking at everything else as Kremlin propaganda.

Some here live in countries that have experienced Russias benevolence first hand, some multiple times. Maybe if Russia was actually willing to act in good faith just once in it's lifetime, people wouldn't mark everything coming from there as "kremlin propaganda". But, alas, it's not willing.

Have you thought of that?

[jonnysensible]

This forum is pretty united at loving Western narratives and looking at everything else as Kremlin propaganda.

what like 2 guys didn't actually go to Salisbury to see the 123-metre spire?

[Shalcker]

Some here live in countries that have experienced Russias benevolence first hand, some multiple times. Maybe if Russia was actually willing to act in good faith just once in it's lifetime, people wouldn't mark everything coming from there as "kremlin propaganda". But, alas, it's not willing.

Have you thought of that?

It did act in good faith a lot. Was rewarded with backstabbing.

[Specialka]

It did act in good faith a lot. Was rewarded with backstabbing.

I guess you have your own russian definition of acting in good faith. Can you give us an exemple of Russia acting in good faith ? Was it in Ukraine ?

[Shalcker]

I guess you have your own russian definition of acting in good faith. Can you give us an exemple of Russia acting in good faith ? Was it in Ukraine ?

If you start with Ukraine 2004...

[Specialka]

If you start with Ukraine 2004...

Russia sure does know how to not care about the sovereignty of its neighbors.

[Shalcker]

Russia sure does know how to not care about the sovereignty of its neighbors.

Except we did. No change of Western attitudes happened.