Media: Lukashenko held a secret meeting to discuss 'Russian pressure' on the independence of Belarus
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a secret meeting with high-ranking officials. The participants of the meeting discussed what measures should be taken “under the conditions of pressure from the Russian side”, reported the Nasha Niva newspaper.
“There was a big meeting with the president. The participants decided to stand for independence till the end. Everybody supported this decision,” the source of the newspaper said.
According to the interlocutor of the newspaper, some representatives of the government said that “it was necessary to respond to the [Kremlin] tax maneuvers with reforms, not with meetings”.
“They raised the question of Russia. Among tasks, it was decided to closely monitor the information field,” said another source from the government structures.
The secret meeting preceded Lukashenko’s statement in which he spoke about the intention of the Kremlin “to incorporate Belarus” into Russia. The president of Belarus expressed his discontent on this matter.
The situation is due to the so-called tax maneuver in the oil industry of the Russian Federation. Oil export duties are supposed to be zeroed by 2024. At the same time, there will be an increase in mineral extraction duties. This implies higher prices for imported oil and lower refining margins for Belarus.