Belarus may dump Russia, build closer ties with NATO, Russian analyst warns

Belarus may withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and establish a dialogue with NATO, Mikhail Remizov, president of the Moscow-based Russian National Strategy Institute, told LentaCom.ru. He said that Russia and Belarus have been flexing muscles. By imposing a ban on imports of dairy products from Belarus, Russia showed that Belarus' food industry is critically dependent on the Russian market. By boycotting Sunday's summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Alyaksandr Lukashenka demonstrated that Belarus is crucial for success of Russia's strategy of maintaining its predominant influence in the CIS. "The question is whether Russia is ready to sacrifice the system of regional influence that it has somehow managed to build for 15 years to this game with Lukashenka aimed to impose on him a required behavior or relationship," Remizov said.

 

He warned that if Belarus decides to withdraw from its military alliance with Russia, it may try to establish a dialogue with NATO.