MINSK, Belarus (AP) — As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, there’s one country that’s reaping rewards — Belarus, whose authoritarian leader was once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by the United States and the European Union.
President Alexander Lukashenko is relishing his new role as broker of the Ukraine peace talks, and his country of 10 million people is profiting handsomely by reprocessing or simply repackaging European food banned by Moscow in retaliation to Western sanctions.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin now in the West’s bad books, Lukashenko is no longer a prime target of criticism despite his continuing crackdown …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle