Putin and Lukashenko Hate Each Other, Nemtsov Says

Former Russian deputy prime minister and  one of the leaders of the Russian opposition Solidarity movement Boris Nemtsov is confident that the conflict between Russia and Belarus is not in economic, but in political sphere.

“It is a personal conflict between the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. It is clear that they hate each other”- Boris Nemtsov said in an interview to Ukrainian newspaper "Delo".

“Lukashenko did not recognize North Ossetia and Abkhazia, for long a time he refused to join the Customs Union. He is trying to import duty-free oil in Belarus and as a result Putin’s patience snapped. He is annoying because Belarus considers Russia as a milk cow” - Boris Nemtsov added.

According to Nemtsov, two events became the final straw for the "splash of political hysteria": Lukashenko’s regular meetings with Boris Berezovsky, archenemy of Putin, and reluctance to sign the agreement on the Customs Union."

At the same time Nemtsov believes that "Putin is unable to influence the presidential elections in Belarus, because all these years he helped Lukashenko to destroy the opposition, free media, his subsidized Lukashenko’s economy, and the money were spent to support the security services".