SONS OF A GUN
- Paul Hansbury
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Anton Chekhov famously said that if a gun is shown in the opening scene of a play, it means that it will be fired in the final act. A detail, such as a gun, is only introduced because it is significant and necessary to the plot.
While not quite the same thing, it was interesting to see that Belarus's dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka, making his first official visit to North Korea a few days ago, gifted fellow dictator Kim Jong Un with a Belarusian-made assault rifle. Despite their friendship, I am going to argue that the dictators' club is in anything but rude health.
Gunning for glory
Lukashenka no doubt feels he is riding high at the moment. First off, after the Belarusian authorities released a further 250 prisoners, the United States granted its latest sanctions relief to the country. According to the US Treasury, 'circumstances no longer warrant the prohibitions imposed on' Belarus's Finance Ministry and its Development Bank ('Belinvestbank'). Although it remains the case that European sanctions are far more significant in their effects on the Belarusian economy, it is a symbolic victory for Lukashenka's regime to see the US press ahead with its easing of sanctions. (On the previous sanctions relief, see my earlier post.)
Secondly, US President Donald Trump heaped praise on the Belarusian leader. He called Lukashenka a 'highly respected president' and expressed his 'warmest thank you' to him. Similar language could be heard last summer, when Trump also referred to Lukashenka as a 'highly respected president' after the two held their first phone conversation. Such encomium is awkward for Europeans who have not recognised Lukashenka's legitimacy since the country's 2020 crisis.
