DThe so-called Union State between Russia and Belarus, which Moscow and Minsk seek to fill with life according to an agreement this Thursday, is a strange construction. Formally, it has existed since 1999, but has always been a vehicle for political ambitions. in the beginning it should alexander lukashenkoThose in power in Minsk since 1994 are targeting the Russian presidency. But at that time the ailing leader Boris Yeltsin chose Vladimir Putin as his successor.

There was silence for a long time about the state of the Union. until the Kremlin started thinking hard about how putin Remaining in office after the year 2024 is to be managed contrary to the term limit of the constitution at that time. One option that has been discussed is to keep Putin as head of the Russian-Belarusian unit, thus revoking his terms of office, so to speak, so that he will be a new one. to continue to rule the post of “Greater Russian”. Moscow took the initiative in late 2018 and pressured Lukashenko for “deeper integration” by tried-and-tested methods – above all at oil and gas prices and the prospect of new loans. Lukashenko quipped, protested, took Putin out.